


Burning off Energy

by JayceCarter



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Anal, Angst, BDSM, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Casual Sex, Daddy Kink, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Light Bondage, Love Triangles, Open Relationships, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Rough Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Shameless Smut, Spanking, Spitroasting, Threesome - F/M/M, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2018-10-26 20:51:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 72,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10794525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayceCarter/pseuds/JayceCarter
Summary: Nora has been stuck on the Prydwen for two weeks, and it's taking its toll. When Maxson has to break up a fight between her and another knight, he realizes she needs a new outlet for all the tension she is carrying.Lucky for her, he's more than willing to help her out with that.





	1. Chapter 1

Nora pulled the collar of her jacket, the heat driving her mad. Of course, sitting in what was essentially a flying metal oven, she couldn’t be surprised by the heat. Maxson had demanded she stay aboard for a month while acquainting herself with the Prydwen and the Brotherhood, and she was going stir-crazy.

 

She needed a fight. She needed some action. She needed something to do.

 

A knight knocked into her, shouldering her into the wall.

 

Well, there was something to do, she supposed. She swung on the knight, and they both went down. They rolled across the floor, trading blows. She tried to remember the knight’s name, but only knew he was a jerk. Another who thought that commonwealth trash didn’t belong in the Brotherhood, no matter Danse or Maxson’s opinion.

 

Nora took a hit to her side, knocking the air from her lungs.

 

Someone grabbed the back of her jacket and lifted her, right off the other man. She swung her elbow, aiming for the idiot’s face who dared to break of up her fun.

 

She made contact and the world stopped.

 

Every person in sight froze, other than the few whose mouths dropped open. Nora struggled against the grip until a voice growled into her ear. “You think you want to knock this off, Knight?”

 

Fuck.

 

She’d elbowed Elder Arthur Maxson.

 

#

 

Maxson drug Nora into his quarters, but at least she’d stopped fighting him. His lip stung, and he already felt the swelling of it. Any other soldier would have found themselves in the brig after nailing him with an elbow, but Nora was different.

 

Nora was always different. She got away with wearing her own clothing, with never following the rules, all because she seemed to get the job done. She’d argue with him, argue with her superiors, but she always came through in the end.

 

But he wasn’t blind. She’d been crawling the walls, picking fights, nothing but a bundle of nervous energy. It had only grown worse over the last two weeks she’d been aboard the Prydwen, and the situation was at a breaking point if the incident meant anything.

 

“I’m sorry, Elder Maxson.” She sure didn’t look sorry, arms crossed and eyes still flashing with all the energy still vibrating inside her.

 

“What was that about, Knight?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Maxson pointed at the chair in front of his desk, waiting until she sat to continue. He leaned against the desk beside her, staring down at her. “Clearly, something is wrong. You’re too smart to start a fight for no reason.”

 

“It wasn’t for no reason. He started it.”

 

“He. Started. It?” Maxson separated each word, making sure to point out how foolish it sounded. “Are you Brotherhood soldiers or children?”

 

“Soldiers, sir.”

 

Maxson smiled at the use of title. She didn’t usually use military etiquette, but he had to admit, he like the way it sounded on her lips. “Talk to me, Knight. I have to understand the problems of those under my command, and like it or not, that includes you.”

 

She took a deep breath that shuddered out of her. Yeah, she was strung tight. “I can’t sleep, I can’t settle. It feels like my skin is crawling, like I’m trapped. I hate being up here, Elder. I hate being trapped up here. I want to get back on the ground, I want to fight.”

 

“You need to get a better grasp on how the Brotherhood works. The fact that you felt the need to start a brawl on my ship says you lack discipline.”

 

“He started it.”

 

Maxson cocked up an eyebrow.

 

“Sir.”

 

He smiled. “Better. I understand your frustration, but you can’t behave like this. It is unacceptable. We need to find a better outlet for this energy of yours.”

 

“What are you planning? Making me scrub the decks?”

 

He used a finger beneath her chip to lift her face. His thumb traced her bottom lip. “No, not cleaning the decks.”

 

Her eyebrows drew together, and she went to respond. Before she could, he slipped his thumb past her lips, rubbing it over the top of her tongue.

 

“You can say no, Knight. This is not an order, this is not expected. I am merely offer you an outlet for all this energy of yours. I think I can wear you out, and I suspect you’ll enjoy it.” His fingers remained beneath her chin, holding her still while he felt the warmth of her mouth. “Do you want me to let you go?”

 

She shook her head.

 

“Good answer. Close your lips and suck.” He waited until she did as he ordered before he kept talking. “Understand, I am not a gentle man. Of course, I’ve seen you throw down with other soldiers, I don’t expect you require gentle.” He slid his thumb back, then pushed it in again. “Again, I ask, do you want me to let you go?”

 

Her eyes were wide, her breathing having sped up, but again she shook her head.

 

He pulled his thumb from her mouth, dragging the finger along her cheek, leaving a line of wetness. She looked nice like that, he had to admit.

 

“On your feet.”

 

She scrambled up, and he smiled.

 

“That was the fastest you’ve ever followed an order I’ve given.” He slid off his battlecoat, hanging if over the back of his chair. “It’s nice when you actually listen, but Knight, don’t think I’ve forgotten that you elbowed my lip.”

 

“You shouldn’t grab people who are fighting. It is at least half your fault.”

 

“Pick your words carefully. I’d hate for you to add to your punishment.”

 

She frowned, looking at him. “Punishment? Excuse me?”

 

“Eyes forward, Knight.” He kept his voice steady. Any fool could yell, but that didn’t excite him. He enjoyed the game, the battle, the way someone finally surrendered on their own. He smiled when she tore her eyes from his and stared at the wall behind the desk. He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck as a reward. “Good. Now, lean forward and place your hands on the desk.”

 

Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips. Her chest rose and fell, fast, but her cheeks had flushed. Yeah, he’d expected her to respond like this. She’d be done with the pointless fighting, because he planned to fuck her until she was too tired to do anything but relax. And, hell, he’d do it as often as required to keep her under control.  

 

She bent forward at the hips, setting her hands on the desk, keeping her eyes forward.

 

Maxson walked around her, admiring the view. She was pretty. A body honed by months of hard work, but the pre-war softness still was there. It was in the curve of her hips, the swell of her ass. He set a hand on her lower back, and she jerked forward.

 

“Easy there,” he said, waiting until she stilled again. She was jumpy. It wasn’t fear, but all that nervous energy, all that tension she’d carried, it bounced around inside her. He undid her pants with a single finger, sliding them down her legs, crouching behind her. He pressed a kiss to one ass cheek, right at the line of her panties.

 

She sucked in a breath, and her hands flexed on the desk.

 

Maxson laughed and bit down where he’d kissed. She hissed, but stayed still, so he soothed the spot with his tongue before standing. He moved to the side, pressed one hand on the small of her back, then used his other to deliver a slap to her ass.

 

#

 

Nora gasped and tried to stand. He’s spanked her. Those words repeated in her head, over and over.

 

Elder Maxson had just spanked her.

 

She was an adult. She was a Knight of the Brotherhood. She had other titles, she was sure, but her brain refused to work any further.

 

He didn’t strike her again. Instead, he rubbed his hand over the place he’d hit, seeming to give her time to relax again, to decide if she wanted to stop.

 

Did she want him to stop?

 

Her hands moved against the desk before she took a deep breath and moved forward again, not pressing against the hand on her back. She willingly took her position over the desk again.

 

“Good girl,” he said, voice rough but with the same quiet intensity he’d had the whole time. “Two more swats, and that’s it. It’s your first time, so I won’t even make you count.” He paused for a moment. “Say thank you.”

 

“Thank you.” The words came out so fast it surprised her.

 

He chuckled. “That sounds nice.” He didn’t give her time to think about anything before delivering another swat. It made her skin sting, drew the blood to the surface. She bit down on her bottom lip to stay quiet and he smacked her one last time.

 

His large hand rubbed over her skin before he slid behind her. “You have any idea how pretty your ass looks right now? You wear handprints well.” He leaned in and delivered a bite on her lower back, causing her to arch her back.

 

She couldn’t think, not with the way he touched her. He moved her like he owned her, like she was just another part of this ship that was his to play with. It went straight to her core, excited her, made her crave more. For the first time in two weeks, she wasn’t thinking about trying to escape the Prydwen, about trying to find something to do, trying to get back to the ground. None of that mattered.

 

He slipped her panties off. “Spread your legs, sweetheart.”

 

The name had her hesitating for a moment. The sweet way he spoke to her was so at odds with the demands, the no nonsense way he played with her.

 

He tapped her ankle with a foot, like a reminder, so she edged her feet out. He set on large hand on her hip before his fingers pressed against her slit. He didn’t go slow, didn’t tease her, but with how wet she was, she didn’t need anything slow. He slipped a finger into her, and she tried to stifle a moan.

 

“These walls are thick, no need to be quiet. I like to hear you.” He pressed two fingers into her, deep. It knocked her forward a bit, but she pushed back against her grip on the desk. It caused his fingers to shove in harder.  

 

He laughed as he eased his fingers from her. “Eager, huh? Alright, let’s see if we can’t tire you out.”

 

She was about to ask what he meant when the blunt head of his cock pressed against her. He didn’t wait, didn’t ask her, just pressed in with a slow but insistent thrust. He filled her, and she dropped her forehead against the desk in surrender.

 

#

 

Maxson felt it when she gave in. She hadn’t fought much, but everyone takes time to really give in. When her head pressed against the desk, when she leaned down, it was her surrendering to him.

 

It was his favorite moment, when the person went soft beneath him, when they started to meet his thrusts back. And, damn, Nora was pretty when she gave in.

 

He gripped her hips with both hands and thrust into her harder, loving the way she took it, the way she gave him everything. Her broken moans filled the room, her back arching.

 

Her cunt tightened around him, whimpering, straining. Was she going to get off by this alone? Normally he’d flip someone around, lavish more attention on them, but he could read her body. She was almost there.

 

His hands tightened on her hips and she gasped out.

 

Fuck, he liked her. She responded like a dream, turned on just by this, desperate for him just from this. He reached forward and wrapped his hand in her hair, yanking her upright.

 

The movement drew a moan from her. “Fuck.”

 

He used the grip to tilt her head, exposing her neck, before he bit down.

 

Her hand reached back, closing around the grip he still had on her hip. Her nails dug in as she came around his cock, gasping and shuddering.

 

He didn’t slow, even as she tightened around him. He fucked her harder, trying to get deeper, until he came, filling her up. His teeth stayed in her shoulder, some primal attempt at holding her still, to increase the odds of children.

 

When he released his teeth from her shoulder, she collapsed forward against the desk. He pulled himself from her, loving the way she whimpered against the feeling like she didn’t want to lose him.

 

She went to stand, but he placed a hand to her back.

 

“Stay still.” He took a rag from his desk and cleaned her, wiping away the evidence of his claim. Part of him hated that, because he loved the way her folds caught the light, how his come slid from her, how he knew it was because of him. He couldn’t exactly expect her to redress and stumble back to her room like that, though, so he cleaned her.

 

When he was done, he pressed a kiss to her hip before helping her back into her clothing. He stood. “Feeling better?”

 

She avoided his gaze. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”

 

He couldn’t hide the grin at the shy way she spoke, even as the words went straight to his cock. He wasn’t ready for another round, but his groin wanted to argue the point.

 

Maxson wrapped a hand behind her neck and pulled her up, so she went on her toes, before he took her mouth in a deep kiss. “Good. You need to work out some energy again, I expect you to come to me instead of starting fights on my ship. Understood?”

 

And he couldn’t help but look forward to that, to doing this again, to taking her further. She was fun to play with, so much fire that surrender so beautifully. The way she fought with him the rest of the time, but turned into a kitten as soon as his hands got on her, it was the perfect combination. He didn’t need a doormat, he wanted an equal who chose to give everything to him.

 

She pulled away and nodded. “Understood.” She paused by the door, like she wanted to rush out but couldn’t help the last word from rolling off her tongue. “Sir.”

 

He grinned as she left. Yeah, he couldn’t wait for next time.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Nora paced the walkway of the Prydwen, trying to breathe in the fresh air, to catch the breeze in her hair.

 

She’d done better after her time with Maxson. Sleep had come easily, she hadn’t snapped at anyone, she found her focus for small tasks.

 

As fast as she found that stability, it slipped away. Within a few days, the walls had started to close in on her again. She’d sat in her quarters, Paladin Danse’s quarters that she used when he was away, and panicked. The darkness, the tight space, the sense of being buried alive, it reminded her of the vault.

 

She should go find Maxson. He’d offered to help her again, hadn’t he? Why not just ask?

 

He hadn’t seemed annoyed, fuck, he seemed to have enjoyed it, too.

 

Her feet wouldn’t move.

 

She couldn’t just walk up to Elder Maxson and ask him to. . . what? She couldn’t even put into words what she wanted from him.

 

And to make it all worse, she’d seen him again and again after that. He’d acted as impersonal as ever, like she was just another soldier on his ship.

 

Wasn’t she, though?

 

She frowned as she thought about it. Did he do this with them all?

 

Did she care?

 

Nora sighed. No, she couldn’t ask him. She’d just have to deal with it.

 

#

 

Arthur placed his hands behind his back, watching over the workshop. A few men worked on power armor, with Proctor Ingram overseeing them all, swooping in when they screwed up.

 

Nora was there, too. She was up on a workbench, leaning down and half into a set of power armor that had jammed and wouldn’t open.

 

She’d wound herself back up over the past week, a change he’d watched with interest. After their session, she’d settled down. She’d seemed at ease, happy, content. As the days passed, that tension had slid back into her shoulders. Small scuffles had occurred, none enough for his personal attention, but all of interest to him.

 

She pulled herself out of the power armor, face flushed.

 

“Who the fuck broke this?” She kicked the armor, then yanked her foot back.

 

Arthur shook his head. Kicking steel was not a showcase of intelligent choices.

 

Nora hopped off the bench and walked up to a Knight. “Is this yours?”

 

“Yeah, so?”

 

She wrapped her fingers around the collar of his jumpsuit and yanked him over. The wrench in her hand poked the Knight in the chest before jamming it at the suit. “You need to take better care of your shit, kid.”

 

Arthur laughed at her use of the word kid. The knight in question was a good fifteen years her senior.

 

“Why? That’s your job, fixing my shit.”

 

“Excuse me?” The way her eyebrow lifted had Arthur moving forward. That was the face of a woman ready to start a fight.

 

Another fight, after he’d already made himself clear on that.

 

“I fight out there. You sit your pretty ass up here and fix shit so I can do my job.”

 

“I guess I missed that while I was clearing the behemoth from Fort Strong while you sat your pretty ass safe and sound up here.”

 

“That was all Danse, not you. I bet you hid behind him the whole damn time.”

 

Arthur reached in time to grab Nora’s arm as she swung. “In case you weren’t aware, Jacobs here is a Knight as well. I suggest you keep your attitude in check.”

 

The knight straightened up, mumbling out an apology before rushing off.

 

Nora didn’t give in so easily, but neither did Arthur. He held her arm until she turned to face him. “What did I say about fighting?”

 

“I can’t remember.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze.

 

“My quarters in ten minutes, Knight.”

 

#

 

Nora paced outside Arthur’s door.

 

Stupid.

 

Almost getting into another fight was bad enough, but then she’d smarted off to Elder Maxson? What had she been thinking?

 

The door opened to show the amused face of Arthur. “You ought to get in here, Knight, your ten minutes is almost up.”

 

Nora pushed past him. Why did he have to know how nervous he made her?

 

She expected him to order her to sit, again, but he didn’t. He took off his coat before sitting in a chair by the table. He set an arm on the table, fingers tapping. “I thought we had this conversation already.”

 

“What conversation was that?” She tried for nonchalance, but suspected her voice edged toward anxious.

 

“The one where I shoved my dick into you.”

 

Nora’s cheeks heated and she tried to take a step backward before her pride kept her still. “That rings a bell, I guess.”

 

“I’m sure it does. Come here.” He used on hand to pat his thigh, then waited.

 

That was the worst part of Arthur. He didn’t force her. He didn’t make her do anything; he asked and waited for her to submit.

 

Nora sucked in a deep breath before coming over. His hand on her hip directed her as she sat, facing him, her legs spread and pressed against his hips. The position brought her face above his, but she had no way to hide.

 

He brought his hand off her hip and wrapped it in her hair, a tight grip just this side of painful. “Let me make something clear. I don’t abide by brats or games. If you wanted my attention, you only needed to ask, not act up until I took notice.”

 

“I wasn’t-“

 

He pulled at her hair. “Don’t lie to me. You wanted to annoy me into punishing you again? Into pulling you in here and fucking you? I don’t like being manipulated.”

 

She drew her eyebrows together as she considered it.

 

He was. . . right. She was pushing him hoping he’d help her again without her having to ask. She swallowed hard before meeting his gaze. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to.”

 

He loosened his grip. “You’re not used to asking people for anything, are you?”

 

“Not really, no.”

 

“Well, then it’s a good time to learn. Go on and ask me for what you want.”

 

She opened her mouth but he tightened his before she answered in warning.

 

“Ask nicely.”

 

A soft moan left her lips before she tried again. “Please, sir.”

 

“Please what?”

 

“I need. . .” she stilted. What did she need? She didn’t fucking know. She needed something, something she was pretty damned sure he could give her. “. . . something.” The last word came out on a whisper.

 

His lips slid into a smile before he released his grip on her hair. “Not a great job asking, but I can tell you’re not used to it, so I’ll take it this time. Stand up and strip.”

 

#

 

Arthur leaned back as Nora got off his lap in a quick hop. She fumbled with the zipper of her vaultsuit, pulling it off, almost falling over in the process.

 

Her mixture of need and nervousness excited him. She craved so much but had no idea what it was. It made him want to show her each thing, watch as she discovered them.

 

His anger at her attempts to manipulate dissipated in the face of her want, in the way she’d asked so nicely. She really hadn’t known what she wanted, what she needed. Hell, he’d seen enough people at that stage, when they got a taste of something they needed but didn’t understand it enough to own it.

 

He remembered the first time he’d tied a woman down, the first time his palm had stung after spanking her, the way her whimpers had filled the room. Yeah, he knew the feeling of discovering something that had been missing, something you didn’t know was missing, but still not accepting it.

 

So he found forgiving her easy.

 

After a moment, she stood, naked, her arm crossed over her like she was shy.

 

Then again, she hadn’t been fully naked the last time, and certainly not on display like this.

 

“Arms down.”

 

She took a deep breath, rallying, before dropping her arms. Her hands drew into fists and she refused to look at him.

 

“Eyes on me.” He kept his voice gentle and waited. When she met his gaze, he offered her a smile. “You’re pretty, you know that?”

 

She didn’t answer at first, a blush over her cheeks, but after a short hesitation, she responded. “Thank you, sir.”

 

“You’re welcome. Now, come on back here.”

 

She crossed the space and slid back into his lap, the same position as before.

 

Arthur ran his hands over her skin, savoring the softness of it. It would mark up nicely, wouldn’t take much, and while he craved seeing it, hearing her whimper under his touch, she wasn’t ready for that sort of thing. You had to take people slowly.

 

He cupped her breasts with his hands, then leaned in and drug his tongue over one nipple. She gasped, jerking back, out of instinct he’d guess, before she settled again. He repeated the touch on the other breast before dragging his teeth along her nipple.

 

Her body shifted on his lap, squirming for more contact.

 

“What do you want?” He tightened his fingers around her nipple until she whimpered.

 

“I want you.”

 

Not specific, but hell, he could cut her a break. She was trying. He reached between them to find her soaked. He hooked two fingers and slid them into her, filling her. Her thigh muscles twitched as she tried to move, to get more.

 

He leaned back slightly to watch as his fingers disappeared into her, the way her wetness caught the light when he pulled them back out. “Be still.”

 

She stilled her hips, stopping her squirming.

 

“Good. Hands on my shoulders.”

 

Her hands went to his shoulders like she didn’t even consider it. He loved that, the way she reacted without thinking about it. Sometimes she’d hesitate half way through, like she’d realized what she’d done, then follow the command at a crawl until she submitted.

 

His fingers pressed into her deep, this thumb brushing over her clit. Not enough to get her off, but enough to tease her, to pull those gasps from her, to feel the shaking of her legs as she tried to stay still.

 

“So let’s try this again. What do you want?”

 

“I need. . .” her voice trailed off when his thumb pressed against her clit for a moment.

 

“Yes? What do you need. Ask me for what you need. You can have it, you just have to learn to ask. And really, I’m being nice. I’m not even making you beg.” He leaned in and bit down on her nipple again. “Yet.”

 

Her fingers bit into his shoulders as her back arched. “Please, make me come.”

 

He couldn’t help but smile at the whispered request. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He slid his thumb directly against her clit, going up one side then rubbing against the top. Her hips moved forward, an involuntary jerk, so he let it slide.

 

His free hand tangled in her hair, pulling her closer as he angled his fingers forward. The grip on her hair seem to push her over, because she bit down on his shoulder, cunt tightening around his fingers. He didn’t stop, even when she pushed away.

 

She met his gaze, hair still locked in his hand, body still tightening in waves around him.

 

“So what did you learn?”

 

“That I’ll ask you when I need something.”

 

He smiled and kissed her throat before sliding his fingers from her. “Good girl. Now, get dressed and go on.”

 

She rose to her feet, unsteady. “What about you?”

 

He shook his head. “Maybe next time. Go on, now.”

 

She dressed in silence, then hesitated by the door. “I’m sorry, for trying to manipulate you.” Her voice was low and soft and honest. She didn’t wait for a response before slipping from the room.

 

It was harder than the last time to let her leave, and Arthur frowned. Her damn mix of growl and purr was drawing him in. He liked how she spit fire until he got his hands on her, when she went docile. But his life didn’t allow him for anything more that this.

 

He had to be very careful or the vault girl would draw him in too deep.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Arthur took a deep breath, rolling his shoulder once, though it did nothing to help the ache. He’d dislocated it when a set of power armor had unhooked from the chains that held it and toppled on a soldier.

 

He’d been close enough to catch it with an arm and a shoulder. It had saved the soldier’s life, but at the expense of his shoulder.

 

Cade had put it back into place, but that didn’t help right then. Med-x would have taken the ache away, but he wasn’t about to be drugged up while in command. He needed to be able to think straight, so he’d suffer through it.

 

“Elder?” Nora’s voice had Arthur turning.

 

She hadn’t gotten herself into trouble in the last week since their last conversation, but neither had she asked for a repeat. She’d approached him on business a few times, always polite, softer spoken than usual. No signs of giving in and asking him for anything, but neither had she stepped out of line.

 

But he wanted her to ask again. He almost wanted it enough to ask her, but that wasn’t right. He walked a thin line with her. Pushing her would be inappropriate and manipulative. She had to want whatever was between them on her own. It wasn't right to try to push her or talk her into it.

 

“Yes, Knight?”

 

“Proctor Quinlan asked me to deliver these reports to you.” She held out a stack of papers.

 

Arthur reached out his bad arm without thinking, then hissed at the sharp pain that ran through his shoulder. He took a deep breath to collect himself then reached with his other arm to take the reports.

 

She frowned, gaze on his shoulder. She was too observant. “Are you okay, Elder?”

 

“Of course, Knight. Is there anything else?”

 

She narrowed her eyes, staring at his injured shoulder like she knew damned well he was lying but also knew she couldn’t call him on it in the middle of the command deck.

 

“I asked if there was anything else you needed, Knight. I suggest you respond.” Arthur added a snap to his voice to get her to listen, the tone he knew she responded to.

 

She jerked her gaze to his. “No, sir.”

 

And even with his shoulder, he responded to that, to the way she answered out of instinct. But, this wasn’t the time for that, and she hadn’t sought him out, which meant nothing would come from it.

 

“Then I am sure there are other tasks that need your attention. Thank you, Knight. That is all.”

 

She nodded and left, though the set of her shoulders said their conversation might not be over, yet.

 

#

 

This was a bad idea. Like, up there with the time she returned a Deathclaw egg to its mother. It was dumb like the time someone told her not to go to the combat zone, and she immediately went.

 

Arthur had been clear that she wasn’t needed, but then again, he’d also told her to see him when she needed him. It was a fine line she was trying to walk, but she’d walked thinner.

 

And usually fell right off the line.

 

She knocked on the door.

 

After a moment, Arthur opened it, eyebrow lifted. “Yes, Knight?”

 

She fidgeted beneath his stare, beneath the way he always seemed to see too much, to read her. “Can I come in, sir?”

 

He moved back, holding the door open. It snapped shut behind her. “Why are you here?”

 

She nodded toward his shoulder. “You’re injured.”

 

“I am fine. If you’re here for a repeat of the last time, I’m afraid tonight is not a good night. I’m not at my best.”

 

She walked behind him, reaching up and sliding his battlecoat down his arms, careful to not jostle that shoulder. It was heavy in her grip, but she folded it and set it over the back of his desk chair. “You don’t take very good care of yourself, you know that?”

 

Nora returned to him and worked at unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his chest inch by inch. It was her first time seeing him, since so far, he’d been clothed or behind her. Thick, dark hair covered his chest, and she tried to draw her eyes away from it. She failed miserably at that.

 

After she got his shirt unbuttoned, she moved behind him again and did the same she had with the battlecoat, again careful to avoid jostling his shoulder. His muscles tensed beneath her touch, but he didn’t move, didn’t stop her.

 

“What are you doing here, Nora?” Arthur’s deep voice drew a shiver up her spine. How could he reach inside her with that voice? All it took was a word to pull a reaction from her.

 

“I’m taking care of you.”

 

He slid his good hand into her hair, tilting her face up to his. “What are you doing here, Nora? I’m sure you know my shoulder will be fine. Cade already put it back in place and I’ve taken a stimpack. It will be fine by morning.”

 

“You said if I needed anything to come to you.”

 

“And I told you, I’m not up for these games tonight.”

 

“It’s not just. . .” her voice trailed off for a moment as she tried to decide what to say, how to say it. “It’s not just sex. I want to take care of you.”

 

He frowned, lips pressing together into a tight line. “You understand that there is nothing beyond this between us, don’t you? I didn’t say this before because I assumed you understood it. We are not dating, Nora, we are not lovers.”

 

Nora tried to pull back, but his grip gave her no room, nowhere to hide.

 

“I know we aren’t. I’m asking to help you, not marry you. Look, I’ve been thinking about coming here, asking you for more of what we’ve done, but I’m been afraid.”

 

“Afraid? Of what?”

 

“Of admitting I want anything. But I saw you hurting today, and I realized, I wanted to come here tonight. You don’t have to anything like we’ve done; I just want to take care of you.”

 

#

 

Arthur watched Nora fluster through her spiel, and even if she didn’t know what she was asking for, even if she couldn’t find the word, he knew it.

 

She wanted to serve. Not terribly uncommon. In the same way a bit of pain centered her, some people gained pleasure from serving others. And, he’d be lying if he that didn’t excite him, if he didn’t enjoy the idea.

 

Arthur tightened his grip until a soft moan escaped her lips and her cheeks flushed. He tugged her against him, her small hands flattening against his chest like a final defense, before he claimed her mouth in an aggressive kiss.

 

He let her go, smiling when she stumbled a moment as she recentered herself. “Okay.”

 

“Okay what?”

 

“Okay, take care of me.”

 

She frowned, like she’d expected him to order her around. Damn, he liked confusing her. He liked the way she hesitated and adjusted. He liked her off balance.

 

When she didn’t move right away, he tilted his head. “Knight,” he said gently.

 

“Right. Sorry, sir.” She took his good arm by the hand and pulled him toward the bed. Her fingers unbutton his pants, sliding them down his thighs, kneeling before him as she did. Once they were down, she pursed her lips. She’d forgotten to remove his shoes.

 

She bit her bottom lip, teeth pressing into the skin there, eyebrows drawn together. He hated to admit it, but she was adorable like that.

 

Her fingers worked at the laces of his boots, removing one, then the other, before sliding his pants off. Her gaze came up, stilling when she seemed to notice that he’d worn nothing beneath the pants, which meant he stood naked.

 

She swallowed hard, like she’d lost her nerve.

 

Arthur stroked his fingers through her hair, a soothing touch to reassure her. “Where do you want me?”

 

Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips. “Can you sit on the edge of the bed?”

 

“Yes, I can do that.” He smiled before walking over and sitting on the bed as she’d requested.

 

She went to get up, but Arthur lifted his hand to stop her. “You look good on your knees. Why don’t you crawl over here?”

 

She frowned for a moment, then moved slowly. And, yeah, he’d been right. She did look good like that, a flush on her cheeks, part embarrassment and part need, as she crawled to him.

 

Sometimes he questioned this part of him, the one that enjoyed this. What sort of man liked to see a woman crawl? What sort of man wanted to see his handprints on her skin? But then he’d see how the woman reacted, how much craved it, and he pushed the worries aside.

 

Nora reached him and set her hands on his knees, pushing them apart. She scooted forward, filling the space between his thighs. Her fingers drug up his legs, a soft bite.

 

“Were you taking care of me or playing?”

 

She glanced up from beneath her eyelashes and smiled. “I thought I was in charge.”

 

Arthur cupped the back of her neck in a tight grasp. “No. Trust me, I’m always in charge. Even if I sit where you ask me to, I’m in charge. Do you understand me?”

 

Nora nodded, a quick jerk of her head. Her breath spilled out over his cock, and he managed to hold in the groan it elicited.

 

“Now that we’re on the same page, why don’t you get to it?” He used the grip on her neck to pull her forward.

 

Nora followed the unspoken command, darting her tongue out against the head of his cock.

 

And that groan he couldn’t hold back. Not even his discipline could keep him silent as he watched her tongue against him. She slid that tongue along the bottom of his cock, from the base to the head, sliding it around him.

 

She moved with a hesitancy that charmed him, one that said she didn’t have the experience with this she wanted to, but was trying hard to not show it, like bravado could hide it. Too bad enthusiasm did wonders more than skill. You could learn skill, but you either had desire or you didn’t.

 

“What did I say about playing?” His grip tightened around the back of her neck.

 

She slid her lips down his cock, just over the head.

 

Damn, the warmth of her mouth made him want to come right then. Her lips stretched around him, pink against his flesh, tongue covering her bottom teeth.

 

This was the sight dreams were made of, something he didn’t think he’d ever forget.

 

Knight Jacobs, firecracker and hellion, on her knees with his cock between her lips. He didn’t think less of her, it wasn’t that he no longer respected her, but the sight still surged through him. The fact that she’d submit to him, it fired his blood, made him have to take a few deep breaths to pull back from that edge.

 

She didn’t move, beside her tongue, like she was feeling the whole thing out.

 

“Haven’t done this a lot, have you?”

 

Her eyebrows drew together and he could have sworn that was a glare.

 

“You shouldn’t glare at me, you know. Not that it holds a lot of threat when my dick is in your mouth.” He moved his hand, pulling her further onto his length. Not far enough to gag, just far enough to remind her who was in control.

 

She moaned, the vibration running through her tongue into him. He guided her, sliding her back then forward again, each time having her take a little more of him. “It’s all right that you don’t have much experience. I’ll make sure you learn. Hardly an inconvenience, especially with how pretty you look like this. Also, it’s the only time you haven’t been arguing with me. Maybe the next time you try to mouth off to me, we’ll go with this as a way to quiet you down.”

 

Her gaze darted up to his, eyes wide.

 

He grinned. “Don’t like that idea? Maybe you’ll learn to control your mouth a little better, or I’ll need to control it. Put your hand on my thigh. Good. Now, try to relax. If this becomes too uncomfortable, squeeze your hand and I’ll release you. Go ahead and squeeze so I know you understand.”

 

Her hand squeezed, fingers digging into the muscle there.

 

“Good girl. Remember, relax.” He pulled her further forward, cock nudging further back, toward her throat.

 

She gagged, so he let her pull back.

 

“You really are new at this. Try to swallow, it will help.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond, just pulled her forward again. He pushed in further, and this time the tightening of her throat as she swallowed had him sucking in a breath. She was a quick learner. He pressed in further, then retreated in tiny thrusts, using his hand to control the movement.

 

Her hand tightened on his thigh, and he pulled her back, but kept himself inside her mouth. She sucked in a breath through her nose, loosening her grip on his leg.

 

“You okay?”

 

She nodded, and moved forward on her own this time, sliding him back toward her throat. Light caught on her eyes, on tears that gathered there from the strain. Such a pretty sight. His thumb ran over her cheek, catching one that had escaped.

 

“I’m going to come soon. Are you willing to swallow?”

 

She pulled back, giving him that same look of innocent confusion he loved.

 

“I’m not terribly unreasonable. If you don’t want to swallow, you can spit, or you can finish me off with your hand. I’m not about to force you to do something you don’t want to do.” He pulled her off him, his cock glistening from her saliva. Damn, it made him want to yank her up into his lap and fill her.

 

But, that wasn’t why they were there.

 

She darted her gaze away, cheeks red. “I want to swallow.”

 

Arthur gripped her hair and forced her to look at him. “You’re saying you want me to come down your throat?”

 

“Yes, please, sir.”

 

“That sounds nice. Almost makes me regret silencing you.” He smiled at her, a hard smile, that only widened when he caught her shiver. “Almost.” He used his grip on her hair to pull her roughly forward. His cock slid past her gag reflex, and she started that same swallowing motion, throat convulsing around him. This time he couldn’t help it, his hips lifting as he fucked into her mouth.

 

It only took him a few moments, the sight of her there, wet tracks down her face, but submitting to him, trusting him, before he came. He pulled back, slipping out of her mouth, allowing her to gasp in a breath as she leaned forward.

 

Come sat on her lip from where he’d slid across it as he’d pulled out. Arthur used his grip on her hair to pull her up and into his lap. His tongue darted out and licked the spot off her lip before he kissed her. “You took good care of me. Thank you.”

 

She smiled, the shy sort that said she wasn’t sure how to respond.

 

“Why don’t you strip down and get into the bed?”

 

“I thought you didn’t want to. . .”

 

“I don’t. You’re just too warm and willing to let you walk out of here tonight. Get out of these clothes and lay down already, will you? I need a good night’s sleep.”

 

She did as he asked, slowly, like she was waiting for him to call it off. As soon as she’d crawled in beside him, though, as soon as he had her against his chest, soft and sweet and his, he wrapped an arm around her.

 

And he repeated the words he’d said to her.

 

_We are not dating. We are not lovers._

 

They swirled in his head as he drifted off to sleep, calling him a liar.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Getting off the Prydwen was the best thing Nora had experienced in a while. Her month was almost up, and her feet hitting solid ground was amazing. Arthur had agreed to let her visit the airport for the day as a reward for having not started any fights in over a week. She dropped to her knees and pressed her lips against the dirt.

 

“That’s incredibly gross, Knight.”

 

Nora lifted her gaze to see a man. “I like the ground. The ground isn’t going to run out of gas and crash down.”

 

The man stuck a hand out to help her up. “Not a fan of the Prydwen, I take it? You must be Knight Jacobs. Elder Maxson said you’d be coming down here. I’m Knight Sergeant Gavil.”

 

Nora took his hand and let him help her to her feet. “I go by Nora. I don’t really care for being called Jacobs. Or Knight.”

 

Except when Arthur did it. When he called her Knight in that tone of voice, eyebrow raised, her knees went weak.

 

Gavil smiled, releasing her hand. “I heard you didn’t follow protocol very well. Come on, let me show you around.” His hand went to the small of her back and he lead her forward.

 

So, the airport wasn’t as far as she’d like to go. She wanted to go back to Sanctuary, to Goodneighbor, to anywhere open and empty. She was tired of steel and brotherhood soldiers and everything.

 

“How long have you been trapped up there?”

 

“Almost a month.”

 

He laughed, sitting on a short ledge and patting the spot beside him for her. “You know, when they made me stay in the Citadel for a month, I got into a fight. I scrubbed toilets for another week.”

 

Nora took the spot he indicated. “That’s nothing. I got into a fight and elbowed Maxson in the face.”

 

“You’re kidding, right?”

 

“Nope. I split his lip and everything.”

 

Gavil cracked up. He leaned forward, laughing until he was gasping. “I guess I was smart enough to not hit an elder. Did he make you scrub the decks?”

 

Nora shoved his shoulder. “I asked the same exact thing!”

 

“So, what was your punishment?”

 

Her cheeks flushed when she remembered exactly how he’d punished her. “He just made me take some extra shifts.”

 

“Right. Extra shifts.” He winked. “Well, I’ve got you for another two hours before you’ve got to go back to that floating prison. What do you want to do?”

 

“Something fun.”

 

Gavil jumped off the wall. “Oh, I know exactly what you want.”

 

Two hours later, Nora laughed as she unloaded another clip on the shooting range. They’d used explosives, small weapons, large weapons, sniper rifles, assault rifles, damn near everything. She hadn’t had so much innocent fun in a long time. 

 

“Time’s almost up. I know exactly how to end this little outing.” Gavil walked over to the chest, rummaged around in it, then came back over holding a huge gun. “Say hello to the fatman.”

 

“Oh, you know how to show a girl a good time.” Nora grinned as she took the heavy weapon.

 

Gavil stood behind her, helping her to heft it onto her shoulder. His body pressed against hers, and damn, she had to admit, it felt nice. “This is essentially a nuke catapult, so you can’t fire it straight like you would a gun. You have to take the arc into consideration because it lobs the ammunition up and over.”

 

“You guys do realize the world ended because of nukes, right? You seem a little careless with them.”

 

He laughed, warm breath stroking over her ear. Had she just leaned back?

 

Fuck, she had.

 

He lifted their aim up, then pulled the trigger. The fatman fired, the small nuke going up, then landing in the space a ways down. A wave of heat struck them, and Gavil helped Nora lower the weapon then dropped it onto the ground.

 

Nora turned to face him. “That was amazing. Oh, I liked that.”

 

“Yeah? Maybe we can talk Maxson into letting you come on back down and we’ll do it again.” He set that hand on the small of her back, pulling her up against him. “How does that sound?”

 

She wanted to say no, but then Arthur’s words echoed in her head. ‘We are not dating, we are not lovers.’

 

Gavil was cute, he was funny, and he was here. Why not see where it went? It wasn’t like whatever she had with Arthur was exclusive.

 

“Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

 

Gavil set his fingers beneath her chin and lifted her face. He leaned down and kissed her, more of a question than anything else. He moved slow, teasing, coaxing a response from her. 

 

And he got one. Nora returned the kiss, dragging her teeth against his bottom lip before pulling back.

 

The clearing of a throat behind her sounded too familiar.

 

She turned her head to see Arthur, arms folded and eyebrow cocked up.

 

#

 

Arthur didn’t like this. Gavil was a good soldier, someone he trusted with a lot, but seeing him kiss Nora like that?

 

It didn’t sit well. Hell, Arthur wanted to have him strung up for it.

 

And wasn’t that completely irrational? He’d been clear about nothing being between he and Nora, scolded her for even the thought that she might consider more.

 

He couldn’t blame her for pursuing anything with someone else.

 

Maybe he disliked it more because he knew Gavil. The man was a competent soldier and a charming man, someone who laughed and smiled, the sort of comfortable ease Arthur lacked.

 

None of those facts mattered, because he still wanted to put her over his knee and spank her for it. Only that image kept him from saying something he would later regret.

 

Gavil smiled, not mocking, just friendly. Why would he assume he’d been caught at anything? Gavil took a step backward, releasing Nora. “Hello, Elder. I wasn’t made aware you’d be coming down yourself, or I would have ensured someone was there to meet you.”

 

“I hadn’t planned on it. However, Knight Jacobs is known for being troublesome, and I thought I’d check in on how she was behaving herself.”

 

“Oh, she’s no problem at all. I’ll babysit her anytime for you.” Gavil gave Nora a flirty smile that had Arthur clenching his fists.

 

Funny enough, Arthur didn’t even mind sharing. He’d shared plenty of women before, and had never demanded anything exclusive. He wouldn’t even mind sharing Nora, if it were his decision to do so, but this interaction annoyed him.

 

Nora laughed, a real laugh that Arthur had heard many times from her, but never one he’d inspired. “Thanks again, Gavil. I had fun.”

 

“So did I. Come back when you want a repeat, won’t you?”

 

“Oh, count on it.” Nora left Gavil’s side and walked over to Arthur.

 

He folded his hands behind him to keep them off her, when what he wanted was to wrap them in her hair and kiss her until she, and everyone else, understood she was off limits. When he started to walk, she kept up with him.

 

“Thank you for letting me come down here, sir.” She added the title at the end, a slight hesitation that had him almost smiling. “I didn’t get into any trouble at all.”

 

Well, none she knew about.

 

“Isn’t that an unusual turn of events?” He made sure sarcasm dripped from the words.

 

They passed an old supply shed, and Arthur couldn’t help it. He opened the door and pulled her into it.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

He slid the lock on the door. “Do you want me to stop?”

 

She frowned, but shook her head.

 

“Then take off your pants, because if I do it, I’ll ruin them. While the idea of watching you strut around for people might seem appealing, I doubt you’d enjoy it here.”

 

Her fingers shook as she undid the button, sliding off her pants and underwear.

 

He imagined Gavil there, for just a moment. His easy smile, his laugh. He’d kiss her sweetly, take her like a friend. Arthur was none of those things.

 

Arthur shook the image away and set his hand on her chest, near her neck, pushing her back, against the wall. His thumb rested over the front of her throat, not pushing at all, just a subtle threat. His other hand reached between her legs, pleased to find her already wet.

 

Or was she wet from Gavil? Was is that man her body had prepared for? The idea had his lips pressing together as he pushed two fingers into her.

 

Nora’s hips jerked forward at the contact, but she remained quiet. She probably didn’t want to draw attention.

 

She sure hadn’t minded attention when Gavil had kissed her.

 

Arthur released his grip on her, and undid his pants enough to pull himself from them. This would be quick, just a small sacrifice to his anger, a tidbit to soothe that part of him furious with Gavil touching something that was his.

 

No. Something that was not his, but still, demanded to be soothed.

 

He hooked an arm under one of her legs, drawing it up, spreading her open. He rubbed himself against her cunt. “Last chance, Knight. Do you want this? Do you want me? Because I’m not going to be gentle.”

 

Nora moved her hips forward, pressing against his cock, the tiny movement all she could make with how he held her leg. “I never asked you to be gentle.”

 

No, she hadn’t. Maybe that was one thing he liked about her. She’d never told him to stop, never tapped out. Not that he minded when a woman did, he’d never want to do something they didn’t want, but she felt like she could keep up with him, that she wanted the same things he did, and that had been rare in his life.

 

Arthur didn’t wait for any more consent before pushing in, a single stroke that had him seated deep inside her.

 

Nora hissed, dropping her head back. It exposed her neck, so he bit down on the side of it, just below her ear.

 

“Fuck,” she whimpered.

 

Arthur soothed the bite with his tongue. “I suggest you quiet down, Knight, or you’re going to find yourself with an audience.”

 

She sucked in a breath, her cunt tightening around him. Well, someone seemed to like that idea. Too bad they couldn’t indulge something like that there. He had an image to uphold, which meant not publicly fucking his soldiers. Maybe sometime they could go somewhere he wouldn’t be recognized, though.

 

She’d look so good, flushed and breathless and his.

 

Arthur kept hold of her leg and reached between their bodies with his other hand. Angry as he was, he wasn’t the type to punish someone for something unfair. He rubbed her clit with his thumb, though by the way her cunt spasmed around him, she wasn’t going to last long.

 

And that was another thing that drew him in. She loved this. The roughness, the way he took her, she thrived off it. He didn’t have to worry, didn’t have to hold back. She wanted everything he could give her.

 

He took her mouth in a deep kiss, his tongue sliding past her lips, claiming her mouth, trying to wipe away any taste of Gavil. She came, but he didn’t stop, didn’t slow, even when she tightened around him almost to the point of pain. He kept fucking her, deep, trying to claim her somehow, to say without words that he didn’t like her hanging on Gavil, that he didn’t like them touching.

 

She whimpered and pulled back, over sensitive, and that was enough for him to come, as well. He rested his head against her shoulder, back bent sharply to do so, but he didn’t care. His softening cock slid from her after another moment, but he kept his grip on her. He doubted her knees would hold her just yet.

 

“What was that about?” She didn’t push him away as she asked, but she held suspicion in her voice.

 

“Nothing.” Arthur pulled back, using one hand to tuck himself back into his pants. He’d clean up back in his quarters.

 

Once she set her foot down, he released her, but stayed close in case she didn’t have her equilibrium back.

 

“Nothing? Really? Had nothing to do with Gavil and I?”

 

He button his pants, turning his back on her. “Why would it? I’ve been clear, we aren’t dating. This is just-“

 

“-just burning off energy, right.”

 

His cheek beneath his right eye twitched. “That’s right. Don’t let your silly girlish fantasies get you into trouble, knight. I’ve been clear about what this is and what this is not.”

 

“Yeah, I guess you have.” Her voice came out soft, almost. . . hurt?

 

The rustle of clothing said she'd dressed herself. There was no way to clean up properly, which meant she'd have to return to the Prydwen as she was, leaking his come. Somehow that helped his anger, and how screwed up was that?

 

Arthur refused to turn around as he unlatched the door and walked out. He couldn't look at her because he was afraid he'd say something he shouldn't, afraid that hurt in her voice would make him soften toward her.

 

She couldn’t blame him. He’d been clear.

 

But, damn, he wished his words felt true.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Nora smiled at Gavil across the small table at the bottom of the Prydwen, the defacto recreation area. It wasn’t official, but she doubted Arthur was unaware of it, and since he didn’t shut it down, he must have been all right with it.

 

Even soldiers needed to blow off steam.

 

“Are you excited about getting out of here?” He took a drink of his beer.

 

“So excited. Before I joined up with the Brotherhood, I hadn’t quit moving for six months. Spending a whole month up here is killing me. I always feel like I’m trapped, like I’m losing my mind.”

 

“Well, I was hoping to get to visit you a bit more before you headed off, but somehow my schedule kept getting changed.”

 

Nora smothered a laugh. Had to be Arthur’s doing.

 

He might not have admitted it, but he’d been jealous. He’d had one unhappy face on when he’d caught Gavil kissing her, and try as she might, she wasn’t sorry for it.

 

At least any sorrier than she was for having drinks with him now.

 

Which was not at all.

 

Arthur had made his choice, and that choice was a casual fling. It meant he didn’t get to stop her from pursuing something else, something real.

 

Was this real? Fuck if she knew, but it was a lot more real than a fling. It was a maybe, which was more than Arthur was offering.

 

All Arthur was offering was good sex.

 

“I won’t be gone that long. I’ve just got a few things to take care of. Maybe a week or two?”

 

“You’re busy, aren’t you?”

 

“You know how it is, people to save, a militia to run, raiders to kill.” She took another drink of the bourbon. “Who puts all the alcohol down here?”

 

“Teagan. I think it’s his way of paying us all back for putting up with him. Maybe you should slow down or you’ll have to stumble back to your bunk.”

 

“Oh, I don’t sleep in the bunks. I steal Danse’s room. He never uses it anyway.”

 

“Does he know?”

 

She grinned and down another gulp. “Does he need to?”

 

Gavil laughed, taking another drink. He’d only finished off the first beer, now on his second. Not nearly as drunk as she was, but still smiling more than he had at the start of their evening. “I’m glad you decided to have a drink with me.”

 

“How could I resist? I don’t get to spend a lot of time with men.”

 

Gavil cocked up an eyebrow then nodded toward the ceiling, where the sound of boots and power armor made it clear there were no shortage of men around.

 

“Well, they don’t count. Most of them are assholes.”

 

“Nice to not be part of that group.”

 

He was charming. Fuck, he was charming. Arthur was all rough edges, but Gavil? He knew the right thing to say, he knew how to make her laugh, how to make her smile. Charm wasn’t really her thing, but again, he was offering.

 

Arthur wasn’t offering, and his last words still rang in her head.

 

Nothing but girlish fantasies.

 

Nora smiled and downed the rest of her drink, the alcohol making the next words easier. “Yeah, that group doesn’t get to follow me back to the room I’ve stolen.”

 

 

#

 

Gavil slid his hands up her sides, then pulled her shirt off. They’d stumbled their way back to Danse’s room, laughing and kissing.

 

Once in, Gavil had kicked the door shut with his heel. His hands were gentle, tracing over her skin. He laid her back on the bed, his lips pressing to her jaw, then down her throat.

 

He hadn’t drank too much, which meant he was steadier than she was. He took her weight, kept her balanced even as she stumbled.

 

She wanted the sting of a bite. She wanted passion and roughness.

 

Gavil had none of that. His fingers hooked into her pants, pulling them down her legs, peppering kisses on her thighs.

 

Before she knew it, they were naked, and she’d hooked her foot around his hip. Her eyes slid closed, but she didn’t think about the man with her. Arthur’s face came to her, eyebrow cocked up, arrogance across his face. Not dating. Not lovers.

 

Fuck.

 

The alcohol helped her forget what she wanted, what wasn’t there, and fall into the touch. She could pretend it was anyone she wanted. The truth was, someone rubbing her clit was someone rubbing her clit. Lips were lips and a tongue was a tongue. Even though Gavin did it all with a strange gentleness, he knew what he was doing. Sure, it wasn’t great, but it was enough to make it acceptable.

 

Really, anything short of pain was fine with her.

 

He parted her thighs and slid into her, so slow she ached to have him move, to go faster. “You’re so tight.” He kissed at her ear, voice soft. “Is this okay? Not too rough?”

 

Nora dug her nails into his shoulders, desperate for him to go harder.

 

He hissed. “Little hard, darling.”

 

“Sorry.” She loosened her grip, a flush over her cheeks that had nothing to do with an orgasm that was nowhere close.

 

“Don’t worry about it. Everyone gets carried away sometimes. Just relax, okay?” He captured her lips in a sweet, slow kiss.

 

 And Nora laid back, surrendering. Not in the way she did to Arthur, not because she trusted him or wanted anything from him, but because it was easier. She’d started this, she’d let it finish. It took him another few minutes before he came, cock twitching inside her, hand pressed into the mattress by her shoulder.

 

The idea of his come in her made her want to go wash off. She missed the days of condoms for a moment, when clean up was easier. Being Brotherhood, IUD’s made more sense. All female soldiers had them put in while on active duty. It made it so she didn’t have to worry about pregnancy, but damn it, the idea of cleaning up after him made her feel used.

 

And that wasn’t fucking fair, because she’d used him if anything. She’d fucked him to wipe away Arthur’s words, just because he held some sort of maybe.

 

He kissed her afterward, sweet as he’d done everything else, then pulled back on his clothing. “I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. I know you’re leaving, but when you come back, I want to see you again.”

 

She wanted to say no, but. . . Gavil was exactly the type of man she should be with, right? He wanted her, he wanted something. Even if that something looked nothing like the only thing she’d found recently that made her feel fulfilled.

 

“Yeah, sure.”

 

 

#

 

 

The scent of bourbon met Arthur when he opened Paladin Danse’s door. He’d known Nora was sleeping there, had decided to ignore it.

 

However, she was leaving the next day and the idea of not having one last night bothered him. Sure, it was pushing her, but he’d told himself it was just to check in.

 

He wasn’t there for sex or to force her into anything.

 

Nora laid on the bed on her stomach, naked. She had one leg cocked up, her arms curled around a pillow.

 

And all that thoughts of this being a check in went away.

 

Arthur walked over and sat on the side of the bed. He brushed her hair out of her face.

 

Nora opened her eyes, frowning like she couldn’t quite see him.

 

“Exactly how much did you drink, knight?”

 

She offered a crooked smile back. “Enough that Teagan will be pissed when he sees how little bourbon is left.”

 

He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her up so she sat. “Drinking this much isn’t responsible.”

 

She tried to push his hand off. “Not your business. We’re not dating.”

 

He rolled his eyes and slid his hand into her hair, tightening his grip until she stopped fussing. “That doesn’t change that I’m still your superior, and I run this ship.”

 

“It wasn’t just running this ship when you fucked me.”

 

He yanked her hair at her snark and she sucked in a hard breath. “Are you rethinking our arrangement?”

 

“Do I need a safeword?”

 

“No. Safewords are for games. You say stop, we stop. You say no, it’s no. I’ve never forced you and I wouldn’t ever, I’m not into that. This isn’t a game for me, knight. This is just who I am. If that isn’t what you want, it never happens again. Say it. Tell me no, go on.”

 

She shoved his shoulder. “I hate you.”

 

“I doubt that.” He leaned in and took her lips, using the grip on her hair to tilt her head.

 

She moaned, breath saturated in bourbon. Hell, the fumes were almost enough for him to catch a buzz.

 

He broke the kiss. “Don’t drink so much again, knight, or I might put you over my knee for it.” His hand ran down her stomach. It was nice to have her naked already.

 

His fingers slid between her legs to find her wet.

 

Really wet.

 

He frowned and pulled his hand back to find white stickiness on it. Come.

 

It meant she’d just had sex with another man.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Nora woke with a groan, the swaying of the ship not the least bit helpful in settling her head or her stomach.

 

“There is med-x beside you, though perhaps you should suffer through the hangover as punishment for foolish choices. Maybe it will teach you to make wiser choices in the future.”

 

She opened her eyes to find Arthur sitting in the chair by his desk, watching over her. His battlecoat hung by the door, his hair wet from a shower and pushed back, but messy.

 

What the hell?

 

Oh. Right.

 

The night came back to her. Sex with Gavil. Arthur coming into the room afterward, realizing she’d had sex with someone. She frowned. “I threw up on you.”

 

“You did.”

 

She winced. “I also remember hitting you.”

 

“Yes. You did. Thankfully for us both, your aim and speed are lackluster when you’re plastered.”

 

Nora pushed herself to a sitting position, clutching for the med-x. The relief was instant after she injected it, the headache drifting away. After a moment, she risked opening her eyes again. “Why aren’t you yelling at me?”

 

“Have you ever known me to yell?”

 

She swung her legs over the bed so they touched the floor. That’s when she noted she was in his bed, not Danse’s. When had that happened? Some time between throwing up and throwing punches she'd guess. “No, I guess not. Though, to be honest, the way you speak when your voice gets low is far scarier than any yelling.”

 

“Don’t try to get out of trouble by complimenting me. Doesn’t work.” He took a deep breath then leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “First thing. Last night you were drunk off your ass, and evidently had sex with someone. Was that consensual? I don’t tolerate sexual assault on my ship, and if you were too drunk to consent, well, I need to know.”

 

Nora shook her head but couldn’t meet his gaze. “Nothing like that.”

 

“Good.” He nodded before sitting back up. “Good. Well, you should probably eat something before you take off, knight. I doubt much you had yesterday stayed down.”

 

“Is that all you have to say to me?”

 

He rubbed a hand over his face. “What do you want me to say? I can’t be angry with you when I’ve been clear that we are not in a relationship. I don’t like it, but I can’t blame you for it, either. You hardly owe me anything.”

 

“So what do you want? It’s not a relationship, so what are you hoping for? Because, whether you want to admit it or not, you came to my room last night.”

 

“Paladin Danse’s room.”

 

“Don’t bullshit me.”

 

Arthur’s lips pressed together and he lifted a finger. “Careful, now. I’d hate to see you in trouble again so soon.”

 

Nora was up and off the bed in a moment, crawling into his lap and sliding her hand into his hair, mimicking the way he liked to hold her still. She wanted to force him to answer her, to force him to listen for once. “So, explain to me what you want, because I’ve got not idea.”

 

His eyes narrowed even as he didn’t seem to notice her grip, like it was insignificant. It reminded her of how Gavil had winced at her nails, had tried to gentle her. Arthur didn’t need to gentle her.

 

He set a hand on her lower back to yank her harder against him, and she noticed, yeah, she was still naked. Why was she always naked when he was fully dressed?

 

“I want this.”

 

“And I want more.” She jerked her hand to pull his head back, exposing his throat for a bite.

 

And that was too much, because before she could pull her teeth back from his skin he had her on the bed on her back.

 

He shook off her grip, his heavy body pinning hers, and fuck, she wrapped her leg around his hip as if he might try to get away. This was what had been missing with Gavil. The sting, the moment they go too far, that feeling of it all almost being too much.

 

“I can’t give you more. I don’t have wine and roses in my life, and I can tell you that you won’t be getting that from me. But I think what I can give you, you want.” He rolled his hips against her, his erection drawing a strained gasp from her even through his pants.

 

“And why do you want this? A man in your position can find plenty of willing women.”

 

He reached between them and unhooked his pants, pushing them down enough to free himself. “Willing? Sure. But most don’t react like you do. Most can’t handle what you can, let alone enjoy it. You think I don’t notice how much happier you are after I’ve worn you out, how much you need it?” He pressed into her, one hand going to her hip to pin her down. “Well, I crave that, too. I feel better when I see how pretty your skin gets after I spank you, when you whimper under me, when you crawl. I spend so much time under stress, but I don’t feel any of that stress with you. It all melts away, but I don’t have room in my life for more than this.”

 

Nora lifted her hips into his thrust, wanting more, harder, everything he had to give. “Well, this isn’t enough for me.”

 

Arthur lifted up enough that he could look at her. “I’m not stopping you from pursuing anything else with someone else. I can’t say I like the idea, but I try to be fair. If you’re wanting sweetness and romance, well, you’ll have to find it with someone else. I just doubt you’re going to find anything satisfying elsewhere. Tell me, did that man make you come? Hmm? Did you moan for him, knight? Because I don’t think you did. You sure didn’t seem at ease this morning, didn’t seem satisfied.”

 

Nora lifted her hands and dug her nails into his sides, through his shirt. “You don’t know anything.”

 

Arthur released a deep groan but only picked up speed, like the pain pushed him more, like he loved it.

 

“What I know is that I’m getting tired of your mouth today. You’re hung over so I’ve been nice, let it slide, but it’s starting to annoy me. I don’t think you want to annoy me.”

 

#

 

Arthur almost laughed when she glared, all impotent anger.

 

“Why don’t you-“

 

He pulled out of her, ignoring the immediate disgruntled whimper she let out, and used his grip on her hips to flip her over. Damn, she seemed to weigh nothing. He pressed one hand between her shoulder blades until her chest hit the mattress, then lined himself up and sunk in. “Look at that, you can be quiet.”

 

Her fingers dug into the mattress as he fucked her, her hips jerking back against him with every thrust. He tried to ignore the man the night before, even though he had a good damned idea of who it was.

 

Gavil. Had to be. He knew the soldier had come up to the Prydwen, because despite Arthur’s best attempts his schedule and assignments could only be altered so far. Sure, he could have sent him from the airport, but he wasn’t malicious. Arthur wouldn’t put a man in danger just because of some competition.

 

And, yeah, so it seemed she’d keep doing whatever it was with Gavil, and that made Arthur want to shoot the man, but he could control himself.

 

Or take out the annoyance on Nora. At least she’d enjoy it.

 

She started to arch her back as she neared that edge, so Arthur stopped. 

 

Her cunt twitched around him, a broken moan crossing her lips. “Seriously?”

 

“I want to hear how nicely you beg.”

 

“Oh, that is happening never.”

 

Arthur chuckled, hands tightening on her hips so she couldn’t move, couldn’t get any of the friction she wanted. She was feisty today, and he liked it. It would make it all the better when she submitted, when she finally gave in.

 

“It will, if you want to come. I’d bet after the disappointment of last night, you really need it. We’ve been over this before, if you just ask me you can have it. Come on, knight, I want to hear you.”

 

After a moment, once she’d relaxed, once that orgasm she wanted drifted far enough away, Arthur began to move again. Too slow, but enough to tease her. He played her, drawing her closer to that edge before stealing it away. The poor woman thought she could win, but she was new to this, inexperienced. Arthur would win, and he'd her her beg.

 

She writhed, shoulders bunching as she tried to get more, as she tried to get enough. Arthur didn’t allow any of it. She’d have bruises on her hips from the grip, but he wouldn’t let her move an inch.

 

She reached between her legs with one hand, but when he pulled back from her, he landed a slap on her ass, near the hip. She gasped and shuddered.

 

“Hands down. You know what you need to do.”

 

Her cheek rubbed against the blanket. “Please.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper.

 

Arthur grinned, shoving in deep. “What was that? I didn’t quite catch it.”

 

“Please, sir.”

 

And didn’t that sound nice? Still, not enough. After Gavil, he felt the need to claim her, to mark her somehow. Hearing her beg for him soothed him nicely. “One more time. I want to hear you one more time.”

 

“Please let me come, sir. Please.” Her voice broke, back twisting.

 

“There you go.” Arthur used a grip on her shoulder to pull her to her knees. He wrapped that hand around her throat to keep her still as he thrust into her. “You sound so pretty when you beg.” He bit down on her earlobe before sliding his other hand down her front to finger her clit. “Maybe next time I’ll have you beg on your knees.”

 

Her head fell back on his shoulder, hand wrapping over her shoulder to grasp the back of his neck.

 

“Come on, let go.” He pinched her clit hard, right as he shoved into her deep. She head pressed further back against him, back bowing out, pulling against his grip still on her throat, so he loosened it. Her cunt squeezed down on him, forcing him to stop moving. Her nails dug into the back of his neck, and a warm trickle said she’d drawn blood.

 

It was enough for him to come as well, chest thundering against her back. He released her, letting her collapse forward onto all four before he pulled from her. He helped her down onto her side.

 

A red mark on her ass from where he’d struck her caught his attention. He danced his fingers over the mark. It wouldn’t bruise, and it would fade in an hour or so, but he’d enjoy it until then. “I like this, though it will be hell to explain to Gavil.”

 

“I-“

 

He silenced her with a kiss. “I don’t care. Be safe while you’re gone. I only like seeing you bruised up when I do it. Now, you should probably get dressed and go eat before you have to leave.”

 

They said nothing else while they dressed. She ate food in his room, still silent. The wince when she sat had him smiling.

 

He should have let her go, but he couldn’t help walking her outside, to the vertibird.

 

And who came running up but Gavil? Charming, perfect, funny Gavil. “Nora!”

 

Nora? Arthur scoffed at the familiarity. Though, what did he expect? That Gavil would call her Knight in bed?

 

Like Arthur did.

 

Nora turned, smiling. “Hey, Gavil. I didn’t know you’d still be here.”

 

Gavil walked up and set his hands on Nora’s hips, pulling her closer. “I wanted to make sure I got to say goodbye. Two weeks is a long time. I’m going to miss you.”

 

“You don’t even know me, how can you possibly miss me?”

 

Gavil leaned in, whispering into Nora’s ear, drawing a chuckle from her.

 

Arthur turned away, because he had things to do. He was a busy man who didn’t have time to watch over knights who were leaving.

 

It had nothing to do with how much he hated to see Gavil’s hands on Nora.

 

Nothing at all.

 


	7. Chapter 7

 

Arthur tried to ease the tension in his shoulders. Everyone wanted something, and there were never enough hours in the day. Finding the Institute was going slow, and every day that passed without progress increase the pressure from the Citadel.

 

They wanted this war won, they wanted him to come back, they wanted him to find a wife and have heirs.

 

All he wanted was to feel Nora beneath him again. He’d dreamed about her, night after night.

 

She was due to return any day. He wanted to rush to the deck when any vertibird returned, but forced himself to ignore it. Kells could handle the vertibirds, and he wasn’t a puppy to chase after her.

 

Arthur walked down the walkway toward his quarters when the door from the deck opened.

 

Fuck. Nora had never looked better.

 

Before he could think better about it, he’d eaten up the distance between them, grasping her arm and pulling her into Paladin Danse’s room.

 

He grabbed her ass and yanked her up until her legs wrapped around his waist. “I’m glad you’re back.”

 

She grinned, leaned in, and bit down on his bottom lip. “Did you miss me?”

 

He twisted and dropped her onto the desk, hard. “Parts of you. Sit still and let me show you which ones, Knight.” He unhooked her pants, yanking them off roughly enough, her hips scooted toward the edge. After removing her shoes, he got her pants and underwear off.

 

“I like you on your knees,” Nora said.

 

Arthur caught her gaze while he set his hands on her thighs. “I told you before that I’m in charge. It doesn’t matter if I’m on my knees, I’m still in charge.” He shoved her thighs apart then pulled her forward to the edge of the desk. “Ask nicely.”

 

“Why should I?”

 

He blew a breath over her cunt while tightening his grip on her thighs. “Because you know you want this. I’m going to bet you thought about this, too. That you woke up drenched and panting and aching. Even if you stopped to see Gavil, I know there’s no possible way he satisfied you. So, come on, I want to hear how pretty you sound when you beg me to let you come.”

 

He brushed his fingers over her cunt, a ghost of a touch, not nearly as much as she wanted.

 

She dropped her head against the wall with a loud thunk. Damn, he might need Cade to look at that.

 

“Please. Please make me come, Arthur.”

 

He tightened his grip on her thigh again. “What do you call me?”

 

“Sir,” she gasped out.

 

“Better.” He leaned in and drug his tongue up her slit. Her hips writhed beneath his tongue, so he set one hand on her hip, forward enough he could use the thumb to pull back the hood of her clit. He took two of his other fingers and pressed them into her, savoring the way she tightened around him.

 

She set a hand on his head, like she thought she could guide him.

 

“Hands down, Knight.”

 

She shuddered, like she always did when he called her by rank, and set her hands beside her, drawing them into tight fists.

 

Arthur fucked her with his fingers, trying to reclaim her, to make her his again. He didn’t like her away, didn’t like her out in the commonwealth. She took too many chances, could be too reckless, too rarely noticed or heeded danger. The whole time he was gone, he waited for word she’d been killed in action, to hear she wasn’t coming back.

 

He took that anxiety out on her, sealing his lips around her clit and sucking, hard, ignoring the way her hips jerked against it.

 

A knock on the door had them both stilling for a moment.

 

“Who is it?” She called out, breathless.

 

“Hey, Nora. It’s Gavil. I heard you got back.”

 

Was that a growl he’d just released? Damn, Arthur was pretty sure it was. He pressed his fingers into her again, slow and deep, twisting his hand so the joints of his fingers drug against her walls.

 

She hissed, head hitting the wall again.

 

“You okay in there?”

 

She took a deep breath before answering. “Yeah, Gavil, I am. I’m just cleaning up and changing.”

 

“How about I meet you in the mess hall when you’re done?”

 

Arthur nipped her clit, dragging his teeth across it.

 

“Yes. Yeah. Okay. That sounds good, Gavil.”

 

Gavil’s name came out on a strangled sound when Arthur sucked hard, again. It seemed to be enough, because Nora’s cunt seized around his fingers, not that he gave her a moment of peace. He stood, unfastened his pants, and was pushing inside of her before her cunt had stopped pulsing.

 

Arthur hook his arms beneath her knees, lifting and spreading her legs so he could take her hard, exactly like he needed, like he’d needed since she’d left.

 

“You’re going to go visit him?” Arthur withdrew then thrust in as deep as he could, using his grip on her legs as leverage.

 

“Why shouldn’t I?”

 

“He can’t give you this.”

 

“Maybe not, but he’s giving me things you aren’t.” Nora shut him up by kissing him, and for a moment, Arthur forgot what he was trying to say.

 

He lost himself in the kiss, in the way her body wrapped around him. Even as he picked up speed, as he fucked her hard, she didn’t pull away. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung tighter, taking every thrust, every movement.

 

Arthur dropped one of her legs so he could reach between them. If she was going to go see Gavil, Arthur would make damn sure she was satisfied and worn out. He slid a thumb against her clit, angling his hips to allow the touch.

 

She was drenched. From her own wetness, from his saliva. She tried to jerk backward at the touch, but Arthur only held her there and repeated the action.

 

“Be still, Knight. You’re going to come for me again. Maybe I’ll stop there, or maybe I’ll keep going until you’re begging me to stop.” He didn’t wait for a response as he toyed with her clit.

 

She tried to obey, but he could tell she was too far gone. Some movement was instinctual, like the soft jerks of her hips as he played with her over sensitive clit, and she hadn’t been at this long enough to be expected to control that.

 

He wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

 

Arthur felt that edge coming for himself, so he pinched down on her clit, hard. She came, tightening around him again. Not as tight as the first time, but the broken sound she made, something between pleasure and pain, took him into his own release. He came inside her as her cunt milked him, her forehead pressed against his shoulder. He wished he’d taken off his battlecoat. He wanted to feel her breath against him, he wanted to savor the way she panted.

 

He drug his hands along the outside of her thighs, his cock still inside her even as he softened.

 

Yeah, he’d missed her. Even if he couldn’t admit how much, even if he couldn’t have any of this, he’d missed her.

 

Then he remembered Gavil, and her meeting.

 

Another growl?

 

Damn, he needed to try to control that reaction. Arthur pulled himself out of her, and the sound of protest had him smiling. So did the sight of his come between her legs. For a moment, he imagined her really being his. She’d give him children, not just heirs but children.

 

He set his hand on her stomach.

 

“Arthur?”

 

He jerked back, shaking his head. “I should go, Knight.”

 

He righted his clothing before opening the door.

 

“I missed you, too, sir.” Her soft voice followed him as he left, a response to the thing he wanted to say but couldn’t.

 

#

 

“Any bumps or bruises I should know about?” Gavil stood when Nora approached, the old-world manners that she rarely saw anymore.

 

“No. The trip was pretty quiet. Mostly just face time, letting people know I wasn’t dead yet.”

 

“You’re moving a little slow, so I thought maybe you’d taken a few hits.”

 

A blush crawled up her checks, so she took a seat across from him. “Nothing like that. I think I’m just a little worn out.”

 

Gavil pushed a Nuka Cola across the table. “I thought maybe we shouldn’t start drinking again so early. While I can’t complain about how it ended last time, I think the next time I’d like to try it sober.”

 

Nora grasped the cola and took a drink. It burned a bit, but she liked that. It distracted her, because she couldn’t help but feel guilty.

 

Well, it wasn’t like she and Gavil had anything exclusive. They weren’t dating either, so it really wasn’t his business who else she was with.

 

Still, he was so sweet. It felt wrong.

 

“What is this?” She blurted out.

 

“Drinks, I think.”

 

“You know what I mean. Look, I haven’t dated in a really long time. My husband died, well, sort of a long time ago and sort of very recently, and my life hasn’t really given me time for dating. Is that what this is?”

 

He smiled, the sort that said he found her charming. “I think I would like it to be dating, yes. I find you interesting; you’re obviously beautiful. However, I know you aren’t ready for anything serious or exclusive, so I’m not asking for that right now. Would I like it to end up there? Yeah, I would. We don’t have to rush it, though. For now, I’d just like to get to know you better. What do you think?”

 

Here was her chance. She could tell him she didn’t think they were compatible, that maybe it just wasn’t a good idea.  But. . . Gavil was exactly the sort of man she should want. He was kind, sweet, wanting to work toward a relationship. He offered her everything Arthur didn’t.

 

“I think that sounds good,” Nora said.

 

Gavil reached out and set a hand on Nora’s arm, saying the one thing she’d wanted to hear from Arthur. “I missed you, Nora.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

 

“Hey, Sunshine.” Mayor Hancock wrapped Nora in a hug before she could respond. He always did that, hugged her, put his feet on her, hell, when he got high, he’d set his head in her lap and giggle. “Didn’t expect you back to visit so soon.”

 

She hadn’t expected to be back so soon either, but the situation with Arthur had plagued her. Why was she putting up with it? When he clearly wanted something different than she did, why did she continue? It wasn’t the sort of thing she could ask most people.

 

The picture of Preston’s face if she tried to explain how it felt when Arthur had spanked her, well, that wasn’t a conversation that would ever end well.

 

But Hancock? If there was one deviant bastard in the Commonwealth who would understand, who she could trust to help her understand, it was him.

 

“That’s some awful hard thinking you’re doing there. I take it you need a word in private?”

 

Nora nodded. “Yes, please. Also a drink.”

 

Hancock threw an arm over her shoulder. “You came to the right place, sister.”

 

#

 

Two beers later, and Nora had loosened enough enough that she sat on the floor, her back to Hancock’s, while they tried to toss playing cards into hats.

 

“So, out with it already. You ain't here for a game.”

 

“You promise not to laugh at me?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“But we’re friends! Friends don’t laugh at each other.”

 

“You’re right. Friends don’t laugh at each other, but we ain't friends. We’re best friends and that means your pain is fair game.”

 

Nora brought her elbow back into his ribs. “What do you know about rough sex?”

 

He didn’t answer for a second, then burst into laughter. The back of his head hit the back of hers as he laughed. It took a minute before he caught his breath. “I can see why we needed drinks, sunshine. But, come on, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already figure I knew about it. Ain't a lot I don’t know when it comes to sex, since I've made perversion and fun my life's mission. Why are you asking? You looking to have an itch scratched?”

 

She said nothing but felt the heat on her cheeks.

 

And. . . there went that laughter again. “So you already had it scratched, huh? I’ll get you another beer and you tell me all the filthy details. Deal?”

 

If it had been anyone else, Nora would have probably punched them for laughing at her, but Hancock was different. He was amused by life in general, and his laughter wasn’t personal. Not to mention, she still needed his opinion.

 

Another twenty minutes later, she’d told him all the details. He’d said nothing, sitting back behind her. It made it easier; she wasn’t sure she could divulge the details of her sex like to someone while they stared at her.

 

“So, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know why I’m even doing what I’m doing. I don’t know why I’m continuing this with Arthur or what I’m doing with Gavil.” Nora dropped her head back so it rested on Hancock’s shoulder. “Basically, I’m really fucking confused.”

 

Hancock laughed, twisting enough to press a kiss to her cheek. “Well, I can say that I wish you’d told me a fucking lot sooner you were into that, because we’d have had some fun, sister. The rest of this shit? It ain’t so complicated. Gavil ain’t your type. That’s fine. People can seem as perfect as they come, but they just ain’t a fit. Cut him loose. If you don’t feel shit now, you ain’t gonna feel shit later.”

 

“But he’s the sort of person I’m supposed to be with.”

 

“Why? Because he’s handsome and sweet and gentle? Fuck that. There’s women out there looking for that. There is no supposed to. When I was younger, my parents set me up with this pretty little thing. She barely spoke, sweetest person you’d ever seen, never argued, pretty as hell. They wanted me to up and marry her, but we didn’t work. She ended up finding some sweet man to marry and they had little irradiated babies.”

 

“And you ended up here.”

 

Hancock flicked the brim of his hat. “And I ended up here. So don’t let what you think you should have lock you down, because that shit’ll kill you.”

 

He was right. She knew it, knew it before he even said a word. She didn’t care about Gavil beyond a friend, and leading him on wasn’t good for either of them.

 

“And what about the rest?”

 

This time, Hancock hopped to his feet fast enough Nora almost fell backward. He moved around and sat on the couch in front of her. He leaned forward and down, so he could look at her face. It made the whole conversation more real, and she flinched.

 

He cupped a hand beneath her chin so she couldn’t hide. “People want and need different things, sunshine. Ain’t nothing wrong with that. As long as everyone involved wants it, then it’s no ones fucking business. You like some rough treatment? You like someone taking control? You enjoy some pain? Hey, we all have things we like. What you didn’t say that I could still fucking hear were the loads of shame.”

 

“Why wouldn’t I be ashamed?”

 

“Because it ain’t hurting anyone. You want someone to spank you? Guess what, there are a lot of fucking men who want to be the one doing it. For every kink there’s someone on the other side of it, who wants exactly that. Trust me, you ain’t wanting anything a lot of use wouldn't love to give you.”

 

His words sunk in, the way he used ‘us.’

 

“Including you?”

 

“Fuck, yeah. This neck?” He drug the fingers of his other hand against her throat. “This fucking neck was made for a collar, and I’d love to be the one to put one there. But, we need to get back on topic, don’t we? Because part of your problem is that you don’t get why you’re putting up with his entitled assholey, right? I’ve seen you down men for so much as catcalling you, so you’re wondering why you let him shit on you and keep running back for more.”

 

She nodded, not sure how else to respond. He got it; he seemed to understand exactly what her problem was.

 

“You’re starving sweetheart, that’s it. Let’s say you haven’t eaten in days. You get a taste of food, and it is terrible rancid cram, but fuck, it’s food. You keep eating it because you’re starving. This ain’t the first time I’ve seen this, it ain’t uncommon. Sometimes people get this taste of something they’ve been missing and they cling to whoever gave it to ‘em. Doesn’t matter if it’s that good, doesn’t matter if the person isn’t healthy, they want to keep getting tastes.”

 

“So what do I do?”

 

“With him? You put your fucking foot down. He doesn’t get to have his fucking jet and inhale it, too. If he ain’t meeting all your needs, then cut him loose, too. Don’t get me wrong, even Dom’s fuck up. We ain’t perfect, we’ve got our own problems, we ain’t mind readers, but the only way that gets fixed is if you say something. You gotta hold him accountable or you ain’t a sub, you’re just a doormat.” Hancock’s rough finger rubbed along her jaw. “And he ain’t the only one who can give you what you want. You need to remember that. Sometimes we get caught up because forget, we got options.”

 

She frowned at him.

 

Hancock laughed, using his thumb to rub between her eyebrows where the skin had creased. “Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. Let me show you, huh? I won’t fuck ya, but I want you to see that you can find what you want from other people. He ain’t the only one who can give you what you’re after. Maybe then you won’t worry about putting him in his place.”

 

Her tongue wet her bottom lip. “What will you do?”

 

He pulled her forward by the light touch on her chin. “Well, from what you’ve said, I’m gonna guess you enjoy some light pain, at least. I’m not much of a sadist myself, but a little can be fun. Figured I’d put you over my knee and we’ll what happens. You don’t like anything, not sure about anything, you speak up, yeah?”

 

Nora nodded quickly, the idea of draping herself over Hancock’s thigh terrifying and exciting in equal measures.

 

“Good girl. You comfortable with getting naked for me? Because I’ve been dying to see all that pretty skin for a while now.”

 

His words helped, the praise. Nora rose to her feet, fingers going to the zipper of her vaultsuit.

 

Hancock had already locked the door, so she knew they wouldn’t get interrupted.

 

She pulled the zipper down, then shimmied out of the tight suit before setting it on the edge of the cough. Her fingers touched the back of her bra, but she hesitated.

 

“You’re shy? Got to tell you, not too many shy women left these days. Leave on those, then. Trust me, I can work around ‘em. Come over here, sunshine.” Hancock lifted one hand, his lips twisted into a grin, one she knew so well.

 

She took his hand, and he pulled her forward. His hands were firm, but gentle. He guided her until she was draped over his thighs, her hands on the floor in front of her, ass on display.

 

She shifted, self-conscious.

 

His hand settled on the small of her back. “Take a nice deep breath, sister. You want us to stop?” His voice helped, the gentle way he spoke, letting her know he’d let her up in a heartbeat if she wanted it.

 

She shook her head, rewarded by his other hand stroking over the curve of her ass.

 

“You know, you look like the best fucking wet dream right now. Never figured you’d ever want this, that I’d ever have you spread over my legs like this. Can’t say I never thought about it, never jacked off thinking about it, but those fantasies were shit compared to this. You ready?”

 

“Yes.”

 

His hand pulled away from her ass, and she tensed. He struck, lightly, barely more than a tap. “Easy there. We’ll start off slow, work up to a nice pink color. You ain’t gotta count, just relax, enjoy, huh?”

 

She nodded, trying to pull in a breath. He continued, one cheek, then the other. This wasn’t punishment like that first night with Arthur, these were teasing, drawing her deeper into whatever it was. He increased the speed and strength he delivered the slaps with, and before she knew it, she was jerking away from each hit, a gasp to follow the sound of skin against skin. He would strike nearer her thigh, then up on the cheek, on the outside, then closer to her cunt.

 

She wiggled on his lap, squirming, drenched and desperate and so damned horny. His erection poked against her stomach when she squirmed, and it only made her want more. A tear ran down her cheek, a broken gasp escaping her lips.

 

He stopped, hand rubbing over the hot, sore skin. It burned and she whimpered, but pushed back into the touch.

 

“Fuck, sunshine, you look nice like this. You’re the sorta girl it’s fun to take my time with. You wanting more? Like I said, I ain’t gonna fuck you, but I was thinking, don’t think it’ll take much to get you off. Do you want me to do that? Bet you look damned pretty when you come.”

 

“Yes, please, sir.” The title slipped out without her thinking about it.

 

Hancock only chuckled. “Ain’t gotta call me sir. Hancock is fine. Mayor if you’re wanting some extra points, Daddy if you’re feeling extra kinky.” His fingers slipped beneath the crotch of her panties, pressing into her cunt with ease. “You are wet, aren’t you? Fuck, you feel nice. You’re doing so well, you know that? So damned good. Just relax, I’ll take care of this, gonna make you feel amazing.”

 

She couldn’t speak as he moved his fingers, the rough texture of them amazing inside of her. She tried to close her legs by instinct, but bent over as she was, it didn’t matter. He used his thumb to stroke against her clit.

 

“Do you like this?”

 

She nodded.

 

“Would you tell me if I did something you didn’t like?”

 

She nodded again, but hell, would she?

 

Perhaps Hancock had the same concern, because he gathered her wetness on another finger and ghosted it over her ass. “What about this?”

 

She squirmed. She’d never done anything like that, didn’t want to. Anal sex was something she hadn’t been willing to try, and right then? That was not a time she wanted to start. “No,” she said. “I don’t want that.”

 

He pulled away and patted her hip. “Good girl. That’s important; you gotta learn to say no when you don’t want something. Just because I do, doesn’t mean you have to. You gotta be enjoying what is going on, too, and speak the fuck up when you ain't.”

 

He continued to finger her, slow and teasing. Still, her body tensed, desperate for release. He coaxed her over the edge, and she almost sobbed when she came, all the frustration and questions drifting away.

 

Hancock pulled her up. “Easy there. You were ass up for a while, your head’ll be a bit fuzzy. Come on, let me take care of you.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest, wrapping his coat around her. He pressed his lips to her temple. “You know, you are a treasure. You ever want to do this again, you ever want to keep trying this out, you know where to find me.”

 

She trembled as she curled against him, letting his warmth soak into her. “Thank you.”

 

He'd taught her a few important things. One, she could get what Arthur had given her elsewhere. He wasn't the only person who could make her feel like that. She could put her foot down, cut ties with him if he wouldn't budge, and she'd be fine. She had options, and those options helped her feel confident. The other thing Hancock had taught her? That being submissive didn't mean she had to accept things as they were. She and Arthur were due for a conversation where she outlined exactly what she needed, and he'd have to decide if he could give those things to her, or if she needed to move on. 

 

“Anytime, sunshine. Just remember what I said, you ain’t a doormat. Relax for a bit, then go give him hell. If he thinks he’s really the one in charge, he ain’t never dealt with a pissed off sub. Fuck, almost wish I could watch the fireworks, 'cuz he doesn't have a chance." 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Arthur took a drink of his whiskey. He never drank with the others in the rec area at the bottom of the ship. In fact, he pretended he didn’t know about it. Soldiers needed time to blow off steam, and that area did it for them.

 

But it would be inappropriate for him to join them. He never ate in the main area either, not after one of the first times he had tried. The entire room had gone silent, all the joking and laughter drifting away to nothing. He’d eaten and left as quickly as he could without it looking like he was running.

 

Maxsons didn’t run.

 

A soft knock of the door had Arthur telling them to enter.

 

Nora entered, shut the door behind her, and flicked the lock.

 

So it was a visit like that? He hadn’t seen her in almost a week, not since she’d left on some mission. He had no idea what exactly she did when she was gone, received no real updates on her progress. As usual, she got to do what she wanted unlike any other soldier beneath his command.

 

Not that he asked her. 

 

Still, that lock made him want to stand, to pull her against him, to kiss her. He wanted to strip her down and show her how much he'd missed her. 

 

Arthur went to stand.

 

“Stay put,” she snapped.

 

Arthur’s eyebrow went up. She never spoke to him like that. Even when she was behaving like a brat, from time to time, or when she challenged him, she never ordered him around. He sat back in the seat, setting his arm on the table beside him. He lifted his other hand to beckon her to continue.

 

He didn’t trust himself to respond.

 

“First, I broke things off with Gavil. He and I didn’t fit, I know that, and stringing him along wasn’t fair.”

 

He opened his mouth to respond.

 

Nora lifted her hand to silence him. “Don’t speak. I need to get through this. I’m not happy with how things are going. I want more. I’m not asking you to marry me or anything, I’m not saying this is some sort of monogamous partnership, I’m just saying I want more.”

 

He waited for her to take a breath, when she stopped speaking. “Can I speak?”

 

“Yes, but think carefully about what you say. I had a conversation with someone who reminded me that I have a backbone and should use it more often.”

 

Arthur frowned at her words. He’d never disliked her backbone, in fact he enjoyed it. Had he really been that unreasonable? “Would you sit? You pacing around makes me worried you’ll decide to go ahead and shoot me.”

 

She crossed her arms like she might argue, but then pulled the seat out and sat. “Happy?”

 

“For the moment.” Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before meeting Nora’s gaze. “You have not been Brotherhood very long. I’m the last of the Maxson line. This means the Citadel puts a great amount of pressure on me to settle down. They expect me to marry, to provide heirs. This does not give me the luxury of entertaining relationships. Most of the Maxons ended up with arranged marriages because of the strain on any regular relationship. Even if I wanted something more, I don’t believe I am in a position to do so, not to mention I would not want to put anyone else, you in this case, beneath that sort of scrutiny.”

 

“First of all, fuck you. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not some wilting flower. I can handle scrutiny. Secondly, this isn’t just about walking down the walkway holding hands. This is about the fact that you still will not call me Nora. This is about the fact that, while I enjoy what we do, you never temper that with anything that makes me think you even like me.”

 

Her words had him jerking his gaze away. He wanted to deny it. He wanted to tell her she was being unfair, that she was wrong, that she was confused. She wasn’t wrong, though. Had he ever used her name? Had he ever given her any idea that he wished to continue, that he cared the least bit?

 

He’d given her the chance to stop their encounters, of course, but he’d never actually taken care of her, had he?

 

It reminded him of the night she’d come to his quarters, when she’d checked his shoulder. He’d never done a single thing to tell her she was important.

 

And, damn it, she had grown to be important to him.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said, voice soft. “I didn’t mean to be unkind.”

 

“I know. If I thought you had, I wouldn’t even be here. But, I went and had a good talk with someone who helped me understand what I wanted a little better, who made me realize what I needed. I need more than this.”

 

“And what is it you want?”

 

She folded her arms on the table and leaned in. “I want something real. What we do behind close doors? I like that. I don’t want to lose it, but I need to balance it out with something solid. You don’t have to romance me in front of everyone, don’t have to act like we’re in love. But, maybe have dinner with me sometime? Maybe ask me how I’m feeling one day? In case you’ve missed it, I’ve been through a lot over the past year, and I’d like if you cared. If you really don’t care, then I have my answer, and that’s fine. One of the things my friend taught me was that I don’t need you. I want you, but I don’t need you. I can find things elsewhere if what I want isn’t something you can or want to give me.”

 

Could he do that? Could he be that?

 

“I’m not asking for an answer right now. I don’t expect you to know. I want you to think about it. Fuck, I don’t know if things would work anyway, but you have to decide if you even want to try.” Nora sighed and stood.

 

Arthur crossed the room in two quick steps, turning her with a hand on her hip, pushing her against the wall. His free hand wrapped in her hair, pulling to tilt her head back. He wanted her to remember how this felt, to realize that things could go on exactly as they had, that it was fine. They'd fall back into their old routine and he wouldn't lose her. 

 

“You know you like this. This is the part of me you like. I feel it when I’m inside you, when you're wet and begging for me.”

 

“Part of what my friend made me see was that other people can give me that same feeling. You aren’t alone in being able to do it for me. You aren’t the only Dom around, and sub isn’t just a doormat.”

 

“I don’t see you as a doormat.”

 

“Maybe not, but you’re not willing to give me what I need, so why would I keep doing this? If I keep coming back when this isn’t working for me, how am I not a doormat?”

 

He kissed the side of her neck before biting down on it. “Because this is what you need.”

 

She sucked in a breath, and for a moment, he’d though he’d won. He expected her to give in, to stop pushing for more.

 

Instead, she set a hand in the center of his chest. “You’re right, I do need that. But I can get it somewhere else. I’m telling you no, Arthur. I’m telling you to stop and let me go.”

 

He closed his eyes for a moment, then released her but didn’t move back. He hadn’t been lying, he’d stop if she asked him to.

 

Nora leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips, one he didn’t return. “I do hope you’ll think about what I said. I’ll be back in a week and we’ll talk then.” She slid from his room, closing the door behind her.

 

Arthur closed his hand into a fist and slammed it against the wall.

 

#

 

Nora was gone by morning, again. At least it gave him time to think. What he could use was someone to speak to, but there was no chance of that, not there. He was Arthur Maxson, legend, leader, Elder. He couldn’t ask anyone there for advice, and if he had to be truthful, he had no friends anyway.

 

When he thought about who he would tell, the only person who came to mind was Nora, and this was not an issue he could discuss with her.

 

Arthur stared out over the Commonwealth from his spot on the Command Deck. Funny how small it all looked from his position, and how he wished he could see some of it. He wanted to touch. He missed the days before he’d become Elder, when he was still allowed to do things.

 

Now Kells sent back word to the Citadel, keeping them apprised on his choices. It meant Kells would gently remind him of his duty. He would remind him of safety concerns, of how careful he needed to be.

 

But sometimes, when it was quiet, Arthur pretended he was still a young man who fought a Deathclaw.

 

The familiar clatter of Power Armor had Arthur turning around. “Yes, Paladin Danse?”

 

“I’m sorry to bother you, Elder, but we’ve received news about Knight Jacobs.” The tone Danse used said it was not good news. “She was wounded. I am not sure the details, but my understanding is that she had a run in with some raiders.”

 

“Is she here?”

 

Danse shook his head. “No, sir. She is recovering in Goodneighbor with a friend of hers. Sir, where are you going?”

 

“Goodneighbor.”

 

“Is that wise?”

 

“Perhaps not, but I’m going anyway.”

 

He pulled himself into the vertibird, with Danse getting in beside him. Kells would yell at him when he returned, but that didn’t matter. Right then, all that mattered was getting to Nora and making sure she was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter without smut.
> 
> I'm sorry. . . so sorry. . . 
> 
> haha


	10. Chapter 10

 

Nora groaned, hand pressing to her bandaged side. Maybe if she pressed hard enough, her insides wouldn't fall out. 

 

Or maybe if they fell out, she wouldn't hurt so fucking bad. 

 

“Shh, sunshine. You need some water?” Hancock sat on the side of the bed, water already in hand.

 

“Never figured you for the nurse type.” Nora leaned up, Hancock’s hand on her back to help her. She wrapped her lips around the straw and drank.

 

“Really? I think I’d pull off a nurse outfit rather well.”

 

Nora laughed at the image of Hancock in a little white nurse’s dress, the action breaking into a wheezing gasp.

 

“Whoa, now. I know I’m funny, but let’s not break anymore ribs, huh?”

 

Nora leaned back down, sweat over her brow from the small amount of work. “Who the fuck would have thought being stabbed would hurt this much?”

 

“You weren’t just stabbed, sister. The technical term is shish-kabobbed, I believe. Impaled if you want to be dramatic.”

 

Her hand pressed the wound on her side as she remembered. The fucking raider had run her through with sharp pipe then yanked, breaking ribs and nearly killing her. Only MacCready backing her up had turned the tides enough. He’d gotten her back to Goodneighbor by way of a vertibird, and Amari had patched her up.

 

Though at the moment, dead sounded pretty damned good.

 

Hancock stroked his hand over her forehead. “You scared me, sunshine.”

 

“Well, I wouldn’t want that, would I?”

 

He grinned and leaned in, giving her a soft kiss, his ruined lips rough and scratching against hers, but warm and welcome. After he pulled back, he chuckled. “So, it takes getting almost killed for you to come see me? You been avoiding me after our last conversation?”

 

“To be technical, MacCready brought me. I didn’t come on my own. And I haven’t been avoiding you, I’ve been busy.”

 

“Well, I’ll have to tip Mac for bringing you here, won’t I? You’re sweating again, sister, why don’t you try to sleep a bit. We’ll talk when you wake up.”

 

Nora grabbed Hancock’s hand before he could rise. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

 

“Anytime.” He kissed her forehead before walking out.

 

#

 

Arthur managed to stay still, even when the ghoul leaned over Nora and pressed his lips to hers, and the way she responded? It wasn’t the first kiss they’d shared.

 

Danse was downstairs, with the ghoul’s bodyguard. When he’d asked if she wouldn’t follow him to ensure he wouldn’t harm the mayor, she’d laughed.

 

Actually laughed, in his face, before telling him that if Hancock couldn’t keep himself alive he didn’t deserve to be mayor.

 

Of course, Arthur had expected the man to be a man, not a ghoul. What was Nora into here? Why was she around people like this? The woman he knew should know better than the spend her time in a place like that. 

 

All that restraint disappeared when the ghoul walked out of the room Nora laid in and shut the door.

 

Arthur flipped the ghoul around, pinning him to the wall with a hand around his throat. Arthur had height, weight, and muscle on the ghoul, and he manhandled him with ease. “How dare filth like you put your lips on her.”

 

Hancock pulled his lips back to reveal his teeth, a snarl like a feral, before he tilted them up into a smile. “You wanna take your fucking hands off me, brother?”

 

“Not really, no.”

 

Something sharp pressed into Arthur’s groin when Hancock twitched his wrist.

 

“You sure about that? Because I’ll have you singing soprano if you don’t back the fuck up.”

 

Arthur released Hancock, then took a step backward.

 

“Good choice, asshole. I don’t care for people coming into my place and throwing me around, especially not when I got injured people here. Course, you kept that shit up, she’d probably haul her ass outta that bed and shoot you herself.”

 

“Don’t you talk about her. You don’t know anything about her.”

 

“And who the fuck are you?”

 

Arthur pulled his shoulders back, rising to his full height. “I am Elder Arthur Maxson of the Brotherhood of Steel. Nora Jacobs is a Knight of mine.”

 

Hancock flicked his knife along his fingers, rolling it over his knuckles without looking at it. “Well fuck me, it’s you, ain’t it? The one who’s been fucking with her head.”

 

Arthur took a step back in surprise. How would he know? How would he. . . Fuck. “You’re the person she talked to about us? The reason she lectured me?”

 

“Fuck yeah, that was me. Course, I wanted her to kick your ass, not just lecture, but what can I say? Sister has a soft spot sometimes.”

 

Arthur pressed his lips together. How could she speak to a filthy ghoul of all people? He didn’t like the idea of her telling anyone about whatever it was they had, but the idea of her pouring her heart out to a junkie ghoul? He hated it. Worse, that kiss they shared? It was familiar, something they'd done before. 

 

“What are you doing here? Because let me make myself crystal clear. This here? This is my fucking town. We ain’t on your ship, we ain’t in your kingdom. I’m in charge here. Don’t like it? Fuck off. Now, I’m gonna let you go on in because she’d be pissed if I didn’t, and I ain’t stupid enough to piss her off. However, you watch yourself. My town, my rules, and they include that you watch your goddamned hands, your attitude, everything. You hurt her? You upset her? You made her fucking wince once and I’ll skin you alive. We clear, brother?”

 

“Sure, brother, we’re clear.” Arthur held his tongue because if he was good at one thing, it was strategy. Nora was hurt, and for now, he had to play Hancock’s game. “I trust that should she choose to leave with me and return to the Prydwen for proper care, you will not intervene?”

 

“No one keeps her anywhere she doesn’t wanna be. She wants to go with you, I’ll roll the fucking red carpet out for her. She’s sleeping, but go on in if you want. Just don’t wake her up.”

 

#

 

Nora came to with someone running their fingers through her hair. Those fingers brushed her forehead, and she frowned. They were smooth and cool to the touch, which meant they weren’t Hancock’s.

 

She’d know Hancock’s fingers anywhere.

 

“It’s just me.”

 

Nora opened her eyes to confirm what she’d heard, because she couldn’t place Arthur in Goodneighbor. This wasn’t his sort of place, somewhere she’d ever expect to see him. Hell, he rarely left the Prydwen, and even when he did, he didn’t leave Brotherhood territory. “What are you doing here?”

 

His hand continued the soothing motion. “Danse told me you’d been injured. I came to check on you.”

 

“Kells is going to be pissed.”

 

He smiled. “Probably. I wasn’t going to let you stay here on your own, however. I needed to ensure you were all right. Are you going to tell me what happened?”

 

“I was stabbed.”

 

Hancock’s rough voice called in from the other room. “Shish-kabobbed, sunshine!”

 

“Ignore him; he’s dramatic.”

 

Arthur lifted an eyebrow, and it made Nora want to pull him down for a kiss. She missed that face, the one that said he was slightly annoyed with her.

 

“Are you going to tell me what happened?”

 

“I was rescuing a settler who had been kidnapped. I didn’t realize the raiders were expecting it; wasn’t the first settler I’d rescued. One was hiding behind a counter. I came around the corner and he got me with a pointy stick.” Nora went to sit up, Arthur moving to help her.

 

By the time she was fully upright, sweat had covered her forehead and stuck her shirt to her skin. Fuck, it hurt. Her entire side hurt, nothing but a mess of somewhere between outright agony and ache. She leaned her head back, against the wall, and tried to breathe.

 

“What treatment have you had?”

 

“I have no idea.”

 

Hancock walked in like he owned the place, but then again, he did. “She’s had four stimpacks and our doctor has been checking in on her. She wrapped her for the ribs, made sure her lungs hadn’t been punctured, and sewed her the fuck up. All that pain is from the internal bleeding. Should have stopped, but since it’s trapped in there, it’s gonna hurt like a bitch for a few days till the bruising fades.”

 

Arthur nodded but refused to look at Hancock. Then again, that didn’t surprise Nora. Arthur wouldn’t care for this town or its friendly mayor. “I’d like to have our doctor look at her. I’ve already sent word, and he should be here by nightfall.”

 

“Ain’t up to me; up to Nora.”

 

Nora nodded, trying to even her breathing out still. “Sure. I hate Cade, and the idea of forcing him to come to Goodneighbor sounds amazing.”

 

Both men chuckled, like her attitude was expected.

 

Hancock stood by the door. “You hungry, sunshine? The med-x will probably make ya sick for a while, but I’ll bring you some soup. Should be easy on the stomach.”

 

“Yeah, thanks John.”

 

Arthur flinched when she said his name, gaze on the floor.

 

Hancock left them alone, the door closing behind him.

 

“So, you and the ghoul?” Arthur still didn’t meet her gaze.

 

“What are you asking me exactly?”

 

“He’s the one you spoke to about us, was he not?”

 

Nora nodded, pressed a hand against her side to try and ease the ache. “Yeah, he was. I didn’t have anyone to talk to, no one I trusted.”

 

“You could have spoken to me.”

 

“You know that isn’t true. Even after I knew what I wanted and what I didn’t, did talking to you do a damned thing?”

 

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?”

 

Nora tilted her head to look at him, despite the way he still wouldn’t look at her. He was right, he was here. He’d come somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be, somewhere he’d never go willingly, just to check in on her. He could have sent Danse, or anyone else, but he’d come himself.

 

That meant something, didn’t it? She’d wanted him to prove that he cared about her, that she mattered to him, and this helped, right?

 

“Yeah, you are. Thank you, Arthur, for coming.”

 

He nodded, moving from the chair to the edge of the bed beside her. “So, Nora. You want to tell me about your day?”

 

Nora grinned, resting her head against his shoulder.

 

Maybe things could work . . .

 

#

 

Hours later, Nora had fallen back asleep. Arthur had settled her back in, given her another dose of Med-x, and left her to rest.

 

Danse was at the local inn, with Arthur remaining in the Statehouse. He wanted to stay close to Nora in case she needed anything.

 

Hancock sat on a couch across from Arthur, spread out like there wasn’t an ounce of tension in the room.

 

How had this fool been able to help Nora? What wonderful advice had he given Nora that had helped her sort out her thoughts? Could he help Arthur? Arthur had no one to talk to, no one to ask questions to. He had no one he could trust.

 

He couldn't trust Hancock, but that didn't mean he might not learn something, anything. 

 

“You keep thinking that hard, you’re going to fuck with my high.” Hancock’s voice floated out from beneath his hat, which he’d moved to cover his eyes.

 

“Well, I wouldn’t want that.”

 

“No, you wouldn’t. People who screw with my high tend to end up dead. What are you over there thinking about?”

 

“You helped Nora.”

 

“I did. She and I are good friends, and I don’t care for seeing her hurting, and in case you have trouble seeing it from your fucking airship, you’ve been hurting her.”

 

Arthur sighed and rubbed his eyes. He didn’t much care for a lecture from the ghoul, but he couldn’t deny it either. “I know. I don’t know how not to hurt her.”

 

Hancock sat up, moving his hat so Arthur could see into his black eyes. “What are you asking me, huh? Because you ain’t just shooting shit here, you’re asking me something.”

 

Finally, Arthur just came out and said it. “Help me, please. Teach me how to deal with her. We have something there, and parts of it she likes, and parts she doesn’t, and I don’t know how to combine the two.”

 

Hancock pointed the point of his knife at Arthur. “I fucking hate you, you know that, right?”

 

“Yes, I’m aware. I hate you too, if that helps.”

 

A grin spread across Hancock’s ruined lips. “It does, slightly. Lucky for you, even if Nora doesn’t want to admit it, I think the idiot might actually be falling in love with you. Girl always has made bad fucking choices. So, yeah, I’ll help ya for her. Better pay fucking attention, though, because I can promise you, this is the last chance you’re gonna have with that girl. Fuck it up, and she’s as good as mine.”

 

“Don't worry, I plan to win.”

 

“Let the games begin, brother.”

 


	11. Chapter 11

 

“If you poke my side again, Cade, I won’t be the only one with a huge gaping hole in my side.” Nora shoved the words out between her gritted teeth.

 

But then again, Cade could make Amari seemed sweet and cuddly. He’d walked in and started to remove her bandage without even a hello.

 

“You are the most difficult patient I’ve ever dealt with, and I once operated on a super mutant.”

 

“Vivisection is not considered an operation.” Dr. Amari walked in, hands on her hips, annoyance all over her face. “What are you doing harassing my patient?”

 

Cade stood, pulling his shoulders back. “I am Knight Captain Cade, here from the Prydwen to evaluate Knight Jacobs injuries.”

 

Amari walked over and placed herself between Nora and Cade. “I would have called you if I felt she needed someone poking at her. Unfortunately for you and your long trip, what she needs is rest. As you can see, I closed up the internal bleeding, administered stimpacks, and have been watching for infection. Even out here, we can manage medical care.”

 

Cade frowned, folding his hands behind him. “Very well. I can admit her care seems well handled. The sutures are remarkably well done. If you ever want to follow a high calling, the Brotherhood could use a doctor with your skills.”

 

Was that flirting? Nora tilted her head as she tried to figure it out. Of course, the way Cade wouldn’t quite meet Amari’s eyes told her, didn’t it?

 

Nora laughed. “Oh, Cade, you’re barking up the wrong tree here. Amari would eat you alive, spit the bones out, and possible rebuild you. She’s that good.”

 

Cade mumbled a response but left before Nora could harass him more.

 

“You’re my hero. You made him go away.” Nora grinned.

 

“Well, you’re about to not like me much. I need to clean your wound and then rewrap you. At least he took care of removing the old bandage.”

 

Nora sighed, but nodded. “Would you at least give me a good dose of med-x?”

 

“I will give you an appropriate dose.”

 

“What fun is that?” Hancock walked into the room. “I think Nora here has earned a little extra.”

 

“I am not a chem dealer, Hancock, I am a doctor, and I will dose what is appropriate for her build and injury.”

 

“And I’m both a chem dealer and the Mayor. So I’ll go ahead and give her the dose she needs.” Hancock slid past Amari, a syringe already out. He held his hand out.

 

Nora set her arm in his hands, shuddering at the way he rubbed his thumb against her skin. “Thank you, John.”

 

“Anytime, sunshine. How ya feeling?” Hancock slid the needle in, pressing the plunger.

 

The medication hit her fast, helping her to draw in a full breath after a moment. “Better. At least, until Amari there cleans this wound. Then I think I’m going to do a lot worse.”

 

“Why don’t you talk to me during, huh? Tell me about Lord Maxson out there.”

 

Nora’s gaze slid over the Amari. “Shouldn’t we have that conversation in private?”

 

“Nah, sister. Amari is a vault there. Trust me, she’s dealt with enough delicate issues of mine, I can promise, she don’t talk.” Hancock slid over Nora so he sat on the other side of the bed, giving Amari room to work. “So, I’ve now met King Asshole, but I can’t say I get the appeal.”

 

“You don’t understand him. He barely had time to grow up before he ended up having to take care of others. His life hasn’t exactly been fair.”

 

Hancock brushed his fingers over her cheek, then slid one across her bottom lip. “You’re one to talk. Life ain’t exactly been fair to you. Why does that give him the right to treat you bad?”

 

“He hasn’t-“ Nora’s work caught in her throat on a hiss when Amari used purified water on her side. Her fingers caught Hancock’s forearm, digging in.

 

“Breathe, sunshine. I know it hurts; I know.” Hancock leaned in and tempted her into a kiss, even as her breath shuddered through her. He kept his forehead against hers after breaking the kiss. “So, what do you see in him? You know, he asked me to help him.”

 

That caught her attention, bled through the pain in her side. Bastard had probably said it just to distract her. “What do you mean?”

 

“He asked me help teach him how to deal with you better. I guess, he figured your talk with me helped him, maybe I could help him.”

 

“You didn’t castrate him, did you? Because that would upset me.”

 

He chuckled, thumb rubbing against her cheek. “Well, I wouldn’t want that. I’m not as into pain as you are. I told him I’d help him.”

 

“Why would you do that?”

 

“Because I care about you, and it’s what you’d want. If you’re gonna pick him, if you want him, I’m gonna make fucking sure he treats you right. And, fuck, I don’t want to be a second-place prize for you, the thing you picked because you couldn’t get what you really wanted. By the end of me dealing with the two of you, you’ll be sure about him one way or the other.”

 

“Now I just have to bandage it,” Amari said. “There is no sign of infection and you’re healing well. Another day, and the ribs shouldn’t need any more wrapping. You should be on your feet by tomorrow.”

 

“Go on, Doc. I can bandage her up myself,” Hancock said.

 

Amari nodded and gathered her things before leaving.

 

“Alright, sit forward and arms up, sunshine. Let’s get this over with fast.” Hancock help the strips of fabric in his hand.

 

Nora sat up, away from the wall, then lifted her arms. The action had her gasping at the stretch, at the pull on her wound. “I thought you said you weren’t a sadist.”

 

Hancock moved fast, bandaging her, looser than Amari would have done it because, hell, he was a pushover. “I ain’t. Trust me, I ain’t enjoying this.”

 

“Really?” Nora nodded toward his lap and the clear bulge there, the one that even in her state caught her attention. She remembered how it had pressed into her when he’d spanked her.

 

“Hey, you know me. I’m pretty much always interested. Could be clearing ferals and I’d be hard, especially if you’re around.” He tied the strip of cloth at the end, then tucked it in. Clearly, he’d done this before.

 

“Thank you, nurse John.”

 

“That’s Mayor, thank you very much.”

 

“Mayor Nurse John?”

 

He laughed. “Fuck you, sunshine. You’re the only one who gets away with this shit. You’re damn lucky you’re cute.”

 

“And injured?”

 

“Yeah, that too. Means I gotta keep my hands to myself, and you know that ain’t my strong suit.” He took a deep breath. “You didn’t tell me what you think about Arthur, what ya think of this whole situation.”

 

Nora twisted, setting her feet on the floor. Thank God Hancock had given her such a large dose of med-x, because she couldn’t imagine working around her pain with anything less than he’d given her. The pain in her side had started to ease off, telling her it was starting to really work. “I don’t know what I want. All I know is that I want him. I think about him when I’m not with him, and when he’s stressed out, I want to help him, to take care of him. Even with everything that’s happened, I don’t think I’ve ever slept as well as I did the night I spent in his room. I don’t know what it means.”

 

“Pretty sure that shit means you’re in love, which is a bad choice, and I know a thing or two about bad choices. Alright, fair enough. So, you want me to help him? Because if you don’t, you know I won’t. Up to you, sunshine.”

 

“How exactly are you going to help him? Shoot him every time he screws up? Because that could be amusing.”

 

“Fucking tempting, let me tell you, but no. Figured I’d give him some pointers, smack him on the back of the head every time he fucks it up, and maybe offer some hands-on experience. What do you think about that? You interested in he and I working together a bit?”

 

“You mean together like. . .”

 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. That okay with you? You can say no, ya know.”

 

Her tongue swiped across her bottom lip. “No, that’s okay, as long as he’s okay with it.”

 

“Pretty sure he’ll jump at the chance. By the time I’m done, he’ll either be almost as good as I am or you’ll realize I’m the better choice. Besides, you know there’s something damned sexy about a teacher.” Hancock waggled an eyebrow. “So, you better get some sleep, sunshine. You’re going to be putting up with two Doms pretty soon.”

 


	12. Chapter 12

 

Arthur held the beer bottle in his hand while he sat in the VIP room of the Third Rail. Hancock had said to meet him there, and Arthur wasn’t shocked the ghoul was late. He didn’t strike Arthur as a very punctual man.  

 

Nora was sleeping again, though her color had improved. The doctor assured them that by the next day, she’d be on her feet again. The sooner, the better. It meant he’d take her back to the Prydwen and consider locking her up so she didn’t risk herself for settlers anymore.

 

He’d known she’d done other jobs, dealt with the Minutemen, but what sort of fool decides their General should go with a mercenary to save a random kidnapped settler?

 

The door to the VIP room opened and in walked Hancock. He walked the way he always did, with a swagger and a lot of attitude. In some ways, he reminded Arthur of himself, but a strange, filthy, criminal opposite version.

 

Hancock ruled with a tight grip and a good image, much like Arthur. Arthur ruled the Prydwen by his name, his image. He walked around it, shoulders back, hands folded behind him because that was his image. That’s who they all thought he was, who he needed to be. Hancock in his red coat, Arthur in his battlecoat, two leaders playing commander.

 

Funny that he could see so much of himself in that damned ghoul. Was that why Nora liked Hancock? Or was it perhaps why she liked Arthur?

 

The second idea had him gritting his molars.

 

“Beer? Ah, brother, you gotta step up and play with the big boys.” Hancock lifted and waved a bottle of bourbon.

 

“I prefer not to become drunk, especially when I am in enemy territory.”

 

“Why do you see me as an enemy? Thought you were wanting my help.”

 

“I do. For whatever reason, you understand Nora. You seem to understand what she needs. In order to keep her, I’m willing to listen to you. It does not change that we are enemies. It is only a necessary evil.”

 

“Necessary evil? Might be no better name for me.” Hancock sat in the chair beside the couch, took one drink from the bottle and set it on the floor. “So, look, figured we outta have a conversation. Nora gave me some basics, but, fuck, I need to figure you out a little.”

 

“I’m not about to sleep with you.”

 

“Hey, your loss.” Hancock threw an arm behind the back of the chair, kicking one leg out in front of him. How did he always manage to look so in control? Arthur struggled to look comfortable, and the best he managed was rigid. “So, you wanna tell me why it’s so fucking hard for you to be nice? Because, yeah, you’re sort of an asshole all the time, I expect that from Brotherhood, but you take it to another level when you can’t even manage something nice toward the woman you’re fucking.”

 

Arthur sat up straighter, pulling at his pant leg to avoid looking at the ghoul. “You don’t understand. I like control. Nora said she liked that.” Fuck, why did he sound like a child? Like a kid explaining himself?

 

“You got a lot of fucking hang-ups, don’t you? Why exactly do you think being a Dom has fuckall to do with being mean? Because I can tell you, I can top a woman, and I ain’t mean. You got this idea that you need to keep people away, that to be in charge, you gotta stand alone. Is that it? Bet you sit up in that metal deathtrap you call a ship and got no friends. Bet you eat your meals alone in your room and don’t talk to anyone. You think you offer anything nice at all, and it’s some sort of fucking weakness? You think control and being an epic douche go hand I hand? Because Nora deserves better.”

 

“I know she does. That’s why I’m here.”

 

Hancock nodded. “Well, that’s something at least. How jealous are you? Because she agreed to a bit of hands on training.”

 

“Exactly how far have you and she gone? Clearly you have a relationship that is more than just friends.”

 

“We ain’t fucked yet, if that’s what you’re asking. When she came asking, I decided to give her some insight on how someone can make her feel what she wanted to feel without also making her feel like shit. You got any idea how much shame that girl carries around for putting up with you? For wanting you to hurt her? She was so fucking wrapped up in knots she couldn’t see straight. I helped her see that subbing and being a doormat ain’t the same thing. You didn’t answer my question, though, how jealous are you? Because, I ain’t a fan of fist fights in the middle of sex because you get your panties twisted.”

 

“I’ve shared women before.”

 

“Yeah, but she isn’t just a woman. That’s part of your problem; you’re being an idiot. If she was just some girl you were fucking, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. Thank about it, would ya? How are you gonna feel about my hands on her? Her mouth on me?”

 

Arthur expected revulsion when he pictured it, but that didn’t come to him. He pictured Nora, the way she’d get breathless and mindless when he gripped her just right. He pictured Hancock guiding her, the way her eyes would find Arthur, looking for approval.

 

Hancock laughed. “Well what do you know, look at that. Never figured you for one to get off on sharing with a ghoul, but who am I do complain?”

 

“Shut up, abomination.”

 

“Mayor.”

 

“Mayor Abomination.”

 

Hancock shook his head and picked up the bourbon. “Well, at least I can see why you and Nora get along. You’re both assholes.”

 

#

 

Nora narrowed her eyes when Hancock and Arthur walked in. Somehow, when the two of them weren’t bickering, they unnerved her. It felt like two Deathclaws who suddenly started playing nice and walking your way.

 

“Well, that’s some nervousness, sunshine. What’s got you frowning?”

 

“You two aren’t fighting.”

 

Arthur pulled off his battlecoat, tossing it on the table. “We’ve come to an understanding for the time being. How are you feeling?”

 

Nora took a step backward. “Better. I’ve got a few days before I should wrestle any super mutants, but I can walk and move at least.”

 

“So, super mutant wrestling is on a list of hard limits right now, is it? Good to know.” Hancock pressed a kiss to Nora’s cheek before removing his own jacket and folding it over a chair. “Are you up for playing with us some? Nothing much, I know you’re still healing. If you aren’t feeling it right now, that’s okay, too. We can just get Fahrenheit to get us some food and we’ll eat dinner instead.”

 

“I want to,” Nora said, too fast. Her cheeks heated at how desperate she sounded, at how excited. Being cooped up in bed had made her anxious, and right then, nothing sounded better than shutting her brain off for a while.

 

Hancock picked up a pillow from her bed and tossed it to the floor beside the couch. “Come on and kneel, Sunshine.” He set a hand out for Nora to take, helped her down so she didn’t have to pull at her side.

 

Once she settled, he crouched down. “That feeling okay?”

 

She nodded.

 

“She’s not good at using her words,” Arthur chimed in.

 

“I’ve noticed, which is hilarious, because I’m used to that mouth of yours never quieting down. Funny that the one time I’d actually like to hear it, you go mute on me.”

 

“You both can-“

 

Hancock leaned in and silenced her with a kiss, his ruined lips taking hers so quickly and deep that her train of thought not only derailed, but likely ended up somewhere on the west coast by the time he pulled away. “I had such a nice time planned out. Hate to see it get fucked up because you want you run your mouth, sister. If you wanted some pain, you only gotta ask, ain’t got to brat off for it.”

 

She stared at him as his words started to make sense. How did he do that? Just a kiss and a few words and she couldn’t keep anything straight. All she wanted was to taste him again. “Sorry,” she whispered back.

 

He gave her another kiss before standing up. “Don’t worry about it. Arthur, you want to take that seat?” Hancock pointed at the chair behind Nora.

 

Arthur maneuvered around her and sat, so she knelt facing away from him, but caged between his thighs. They pressed against her shoulders, and she found herself relaxing there.

 

Hancock sat in a chair in front of Nora. He stretched one foot out so it touched her knee, further caging her in between them. It caused her breathing to speed a bit at the sheer threat of it. She trusted them both, but fuck, they seemed larger than life when she knelt between them.

 

Arthur set a hand on her shoulder, and she jerked. “Are you okay? We don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable.”

 

She shook her head. “No, I want this. I’m just nervous.”

 

“You ever been with two men at once, sunshine?” John cupped her chin to she met his gaze.

 

“No.”

 

John smiled, like that charmed him. “Well, ain’t that a surprise. Never figured you for a virgin of anything. You got any worries about it?”

 

Nora nodded. “Only a billion.”

 

Arthur’s soft laugh from behind her made her smile. “That is a lot of worries. Would you care to be a bit more specific?” He ran his fingers through her hair, a gentle touch.

 

Nora pressed her lips together and dropped her eyes when Hancock sat back. It was easier to talk without looking at them, without trying to meet those eyes. “It just seems overwhelming. That’s an awful lot of fucking penis to deal with.”

 

Silence met her for a moment before both men began to laugh. Strange, to hear them laugh together like that. Hell, they almost sounded like friends. Not even a chuckle, but a near gasping bout of laughter.

 

Hancock recovered first. “Ah, sunshine, you flatter us.”

 

Arthur’s hand grasped the back of her neck, his thumb rubbing gentle circles over her pulse. “We’ll go slow, take time to prepare you, make sure you’re ready, that you’re comfortable with it before we do anything. I promise, we won’t do anything you don’t enjoy.”

 

The way he said prepare made her shift her hips. How did his words sink into her like this? She wanted one of them to move already, to touch her somewhere more interesting than her neck. It was better than that snap he used, because this one had an undercurrent of affection, something she wasn’t used to, something she hadn’t realized how much she craved.

 

There was only one response, even though it wasn’t phrased as a question. When two men like that asked you to have sex with them, there was only one answer. No matter how scary it seemed, no matter what a bad idea it might be, if Arthur Maxson and John Hancock want to have sex with you, there is only one sane answer.

 

Nora drug her tongue across her lips. “Okay.”

 


	13. Chapter 13

 

Arthur could hardly believe how tempting Nora looked, on her knees, a flush over her cheeks. The idea of sharing her with Hancock didn’t bother him, either. If he were being honest about a part of himself he tried hard to ignore, he looked forward to it. He'd shared women before, but sharing one with someone who knew what they were doing? The two of them driving Nora's body as they wanted to, helping her discover things she'd never tried before, the idea had him hardening already. 

 

Also, somehow, Hancock helped. He created a buffer, a reminder of what Arthur needed to do, to become. Off of the Prydwen, away from the man Arthur needed to be as a Maxson, as an Elder of the Brotherhood, that armor he wore slid away easier.

 

Hancock hadn’t talked much about what he had planned. They both knew Nora wasn’t ready for sex, especially not with them both. She wasn’t bending well, and there was no way for them both to take her and take it easy.

 

Besides, for them both to take her, they’d need to get her ready. Hancock had mentioned her unease with anal, which meant it would take time to ease her into it. 

 

“So, what are you interested in, Maxson?” Hancock reached out and ran a finger along her bottom lip. “Because I’m pretty easy to please.”

 

Arthur watched Hancock’s thumb disappear into Nora’s mouth and went back to his thought before. He knew what he wanted. “Are you going to let me have your mouth, Nora?”

 

Nora nodded to answer. She closed her lips around Hancock’s thumb, and Hancock’s smile said she’d started to suck.

 

Arthur knew well how tempting her mouth was.

 

“Good. Are you going to let Hancock fuck you during?”

 

Hancock pulled his thumb out so she could answer.

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

Hancock chuckled at her breathless reply. “You have you calling you sir?”

 

“I like how it sounds from her.”

 

“Can’t argue with that. Come on, sunshine. Let’s get you undressed and turned around. Arthur, why don’t you just enjoy the view?”

 

Arthur unbutton his pants, then leaned back as Hancock helped Nora to her feet.

 

Hancock made short work of her clothing, efficient and quick. He turned her toward Arthur, but before she could sink down, he wrapped an arm around her, cupping her breast. “She’s a fucking looker, ain’t she?”

 

“Yes, she is.”

 

“Didn’t get to see her like this last time. She’s shy, and she kept on her bra and panties. Got to say, these were worth the wait.” His thumb brushed over her nipple, drawing a pained gasp from her.

 

Arthur reached into his pants, adjusting them so he could pull out his cock. He gave himself a firm stroke as he watched Hancock toy with Nora’s tits.

 

Seeing those rough, scared hands on Nora’s flawless skin was such an alluring contrast. Hell, sometime he’d be thrilled to sit back and watch Hancock fuck her. 

 

He lifted his gaze to hers, to find her gaze on him. It had him stroking himself faster. “I like your eyes on me,” he told her. “Do you like me watching as he touches you?”

 

Nora nodded.

 

Hancock bit down on her shoulder, not as hard as Arthur would have, but hard enough Nora’s back arched. “Speak up, sister. Can’t hear you.”

 

“Yes. Yes, I like it.”

 

Hancock’s hand left her breast, drifting down her stomach then dipping between her legs. “Yeah, fuck, I can tell you like it. And it seems Maxson likes it, too. How about you go show him some love, huh?” Hancock released her, but set a hand on her back as she dropped to her knees.

 

She reached her hand forward to grasp Arthur's cock.

 

Hancock slid a hand into her hair and held her still. “Nope. No hands. Arthur will control you. Hands go on his thighs. There you go. Good girl, that’s it. Knees further apart, too.”

 

Arthur slid his hand into her hair when Hancock released her. He gripped his cock with his other hand, using it to rubbing himself against her lips. She opened her mouth, but he continued to tease her. A wet smear from his precome glistened on her bottom lip, drawing a groan from him.

 

Finally, he pulled her forward, just far enough that the head of his cock disappeared past her lips.

 

#

 

Nora’s hands tightened on Arthur’s thighs as she trusted him. He didn’t force her down, didn’t make her gag. “Tighten your lips, Nora.” He said, voice gentle.

 

Nora did as he asked, wrapping her tongue around the head of his cock.

 

She jerked in surprise when Hancock’s fingers brushed her slit. He grasped her hip with his other hand. “Easy there. Relax for me, would you?”

 

Arthur slid his fingers across her cheek. “Just like before, if you need any of this to stop, squeeze my thigh. We’ll stop and talk it out. Go on, show me you understand.”

 

She squeezed hard on his thigh.

 

“Good. Just like that. Do you need to stop?”

 

No. She knew it immediately. She didn’t want to stop. Hell, she might hurt either of them if they stopped. She tried to shake her head no, though with Arthur’s dick in her mouth, she lacked a good range of motion.

 

“Okay. You let us know if that changes.”

 

Hancock pressed his fingers against her cunt again, though this time she stayed still. He drug his fingers to her clit, rubbing against it for a moment before dipping his fingers inside her. He slid two of them in, a slow press that had her shuddering.

 

His fingers were rough, full of ridges that stroked against her insides in wonderful way. He kept moving forward until his knuckles pressed against her. “You’re so wet, sunshine. Can’t imagine ever getting sick of touching you like this. You’re gonna be so tight around my dick, you know that? You’re doing so good for us.”

 

Arthur slid her lips down on his cock, feeding more of his length into her mouth. Still, not enough to bother her gag reflex. His gaze darted from hers, back to where Hancock fingered her.

 

Hancock pulled his fingers from her, and she whimpered.

 

Arthur groaned, then gripped her hair tighter. “Patience, Nora. He’s about to give you something better. Are you going to behave for him?”

 

Nora nodded, sucking in a breath through her nose and trying to remain still.

 

One of Hancock’s hands stayed on her hip, then something blunt pressed against her cunt. Yeah, there was no real question what that was. “I’m gonna go slow. You’re still healing, so a lot of jostling probably ain’t good for you. Don’t need Amari spoiling all our fun on Doctor’s orders or anything.” He didn’t wait for a response before starting to press in.

 

Fuck.

 

Nora’s eyes slid closed at the burn. Hancock was thick, and going slow was a really good idea. She shifted, adjusting her back to ease the sting.

 

“We’re getting there. You’re doing fucking great.”

 

Arthur’s hand cupped her chin, other still in her hair. “I like watching him slide into you. One of these times, I’m going to sit back while he fucks you, Nora. I want to watch you lose yourself while he takes you, watch his come drip out of you before I take you. Of course, taking your mouth while he fucks you is nice, too. You look amazing like this. He’s thick, isn’t he? I can tell in your face, the way you wince. You’ll get used to it, and that sting will go away, but I think we both know you like it. I like how it looks on your face.”

 

“How’s she doing?” Hancock’s words came out breathy, the first real sign of his effort.

 

“She’s good. Are you almost in?”

 

“Yeah. Fucking hell, she’s tight. It’ll be nice when she’s feeling better, when I can really fuck her.”

 

Nora’s nails dug into Arthur’s thigh when Hancock bottomed out inside her, his pelvis pressed against her.

 

“Is that a stop, Nora? I can’t tell.”

 

She shook her head, forcing her hands to relax. She wiggled his hips, wanting Hancock to move, to thrust. He refused, though. She tightened her cunt around him, and that got a reaction.

 

Hancock groaned. “Oh, she can be a brat, can’t she?”

 

Arthur chuckled, sliding her further onto his length. “Yeah, she can. I think she’s behaving worse because she knows we can’t beat on her right now. Of course, I suspect she forgets I don’t need to hit her for punishment.” Arthur leaned forward and reached below her. It pushed him further into her mouth, but she hardly noticed when he closed his fingers around her nipple in a rough pinch.

 

“Fucking hell,” Hancock said on a gasp. “Well, that got a nice reaction.”

 

“Told you she enjoys some pain.” Arthur released her nipple and sat back. “Now, Nora, you were doing so well. Do you think you can control yourself? Because, after we’re done, we’d love to take care of you, but only if you behave.”

 

She shivered, but held herself still again. Being still when every nerve in her felt on fire wasn’t easy, but she wanted that praise. She wanted to hear Arthur and Hancock tell her she was a good girl, she wanted them to stroke over her skin and hear that she’d done well.

 

Hancock slid out until he was barely inside before thrusting forward again. He didn’t go hard or fast, setting a steady rhythm.

 

Meanwhile, Arthur began to take her mouth more roughly. “Are you feeling up to taking me deeper?” He pulled out of her mouth so she could answer.

 

“Yes.” She moaned when Hancock shoved in rougher, like he wanted to distract her. “Yes, I can do that.”

 

Arthur pulled her forward again, angling her so her throat was in a single line, this time sliding himself back, past her gag reflex. She swallowed like he’d told her before, her throat tightening around him. His fingers ran across her throat, like he pictured how far he was.

 

He pulled back, allowing her to pull in deep breaths, before he repeated the action. The twitching of his thigh muscles told her he was close. He pulled out again. “Are you going to swallow for me? Good. Deep breath, okay? Ready?” He pushed in again, deep, her nose pressed against his pelvis. He stilled, then his cock jerked against her tongue as he came. He pulled back, sliding against her tongue so she could taste him.

 

Arthur tilted her head so her cheek rested against his thigh. He ran his fingers through her hair. “You did so good. Thank you.”

 

She moaned as Hancock fucked her, his pace never faltering.

 

“Fuck. You okay with me coming inside you? I’ll pull out if you want.”

 

Nora met Arthur’s eyes, looking for approval. He smiled down at her. “I’m okay with that. Whatever you want.”

 

“Inside me, please.”

 

Hancock’s hand tightened. “Sounds good, sunshine.” He quickened his pace, but she knew he was still holding back for her. After another few moments, he shoved in hard then stilled. Warmth flooded her, and she knew he came, his heavy breath filling the space.

 

No one moved for a moment, until Hancock pulled out as he softened. “Now that your mouths free, sunshine, you interested in trying something new? You told me no last time, and it can be no again, but Maxson and I were hoping to get to fuck you at the same time at some point. So, you ever let anyone play with your ass before?”

 

Nora knew her cheeks had gone bright red at the graphic question. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

 

“Do you trust me? We can give it a try, just a little. You don’t like it, we never have to try it again.”

 

She swallowed, nodding.

 

“I need to hear you tell me it’s okay. Since you told me no before, I need to make sure you want this.”

 

“I want to try.”

 

A pop sounded behind her before Hancock’s wet finger brushed over her ass. “Relax for me, okay?”

 

She went to look behind her, but Arthur held her cheek. “That’s lube, Nora. So it won’t hurt.”

 

She tried to listen, to relax, but she couldn’t. She was afraid it would hurt.

 

Arthur slid his own thumb past her lips. “Suck, Nora. Focus on what your mouth is doing and try to stay loose. It will be easier if you don't tense.”

 

Nora latched her lips around Arthur’s thumb and did as he said. She focused only on how this thumb felt, her tongue wrapping around it, feeling every slight edge and feature.

 

Hancock’s finger pressed against her hole, finally breaching her and sliding in an inch.

 

She whimpered, teeth closing around Arthur’s finger in surprise. As soon as she did it, she released, casting a worried glance up. Would he be angry?

 

Arthur smiled. “Well, I know to keep my dick away from you when he’s playing there, don’t I? It’s okay. You’re doing great. Does it hurt?”

 

Nora considered the question. It felt strange. Almost worse because Hancock didn’t move his finger inside of her. He held still, and it had her cunt tightening around nothing. Of course, that all tempted her more.

 

“No, it doesn’t hurt.”

 

“Trust me, once we have you ready, it’ll feel really good.” Hancock’s voice, while she still stared at Arthur, felt so wrong and filthy and wonderful. He moved that finger, pulling back before sliding in further. His other hand reached between her legs to find her clit.

 

Just a soft brush against her had her fingers digging into Arthur’s thighs, deep enough she’d normally worry she’d cut him. Right then, she didn’t care about anything.

 

“See? It’ll feel so fucking good. One of us in that cunt of yours while the other fucks your ass. You’ll be pinned between us. What do you think of that?” Hancock kept up the movement, pulling his finger back then pushing more into her.

 

Wait, what the fuck? She realized she’d started to move her hips backward, and was fucking back against his finger. She froze, embarrassed.

 

“Uh-huh, sister. I like it when you do that.” Hancock rubbed his fingers against her clit. “Come on, fuck yourself on my finger.”

 

Something about the way he said it had her moving again. The knuckle of his finger slipped into her, the extra width pulling something between a whine and a moan from her.

 

“Fuck, she looks good like this. Let’s see about this.” Hancock pulled his finger out of her, and Nora complained in a needy whimper. Then the tips of two fingers pressed against her, wetter than before. He must have added more lube. Pressing in was difficult, with Nora going still again, letting him control it.

 

He rubbed her clit faster, pressing harder. Nora’s breath came in and out fast, and she knew she was close. Hell, he probably knew it, too. Seemed both men could read her body better than she could.

 

Hancock added more pressure, until the two fingers entered her, sliding in to the first knuckle in an easy thrust.

 

The sensation had her back arching as she came, nails biting into Arthur’s thighs. She couldn’t breathe as she came, every muscle seizing down.

 

Once she could drag in a greedy breath, Hancock had already pulled his fingers from her. His hand rubbed over her hip in a soothing touch. Something soft rubbed between her legs, then up her ass. Hancock was cleaning her, she realized. “You did good, sunshine. Come on, let’s get you into bed. You earned a rest.”

 

Arthur helped her up, then went one step further and just lifted her, bridal style. He carried her to the bed, setting her in it and pulling the blanket over her. “I liked that. Thank you.” Arthur leaned in, kissing her. A thud, then he jumped before glaring at Hancock. “What was that for?”

 

“This is one of those lessons you need. Subs need aftercare. Scenes are hard on them and sometimes their emotions can be all over the place afterward. You can’t just leave ‘em. Crawl your ass into that bed and keep an eye on her.”

 

Arthur sighed, but pulled off his shirt and did as Hancock said. He slid into the bed and pulled Nora against his chest.

 

She cuddled against him. Had she ever felt so content? So damned happy? Who'd have thought it would take that to relax? It made a mockery of what she and Arthur had done before, because this time, it seemed like he actually wanted her. This wasn't a favor he was doing, or an itch that needed scratching. It was something special, something important. 

 

She felt important. 

 

Arthur's fingers stroked against her back in light touches, his breath spilling over her hair. Nora closed her eyes drifted off to sleep in his arms. 

 

She could get used to this, if only she knew it would last. 

 


	14. Chapter 14

 

Arthur sat back at the bar as Nora floated around the Third Rail, Hancock beside him.

 

MacCready danced with Nora, both drunk and uncoordinated, but neither caring. Nora wore a tight red dress, courtesy of Hancock, that made her look like the most tempting piece of treasure he’d ever seen, the lights catching on the sequins like lures.

 

“How’d she do last night?” Hancock leaned an elbow against the bar top.

 

“Fine. I don’t think I understand this obsession with cuddling afterward.”

 

“Because you’re as in touch with your emotions as a constipated deathclaw. Look, it ain’t cuddling. I mean, it can be, sure, but that ain’t the point. How can you understand this? What happens after a fight? I mean, a good fight. Blood pumping, heart racing, adrenaline spiking fight. What happens when it’s over?”

 

Arthur tapped his fingers on the counter, eyes not on Hancock, but on Nora. “When the adrenaline drops, you lose energy. You notice injuries you’d ignored before. Sometimes you can find yourself sad or numb.”

 

Hancock kicked his foot against Arthur’s. “There you are, brother. That’s subdrop. At least, it can be. See, we don’t just play with her body, we play with her head. She gets all these things raging inside of her, and when it’s over? Yeah, she can come reeling backward. Gotta watch out for ‘em. Aftercare means you watch out for her, make sure she gets her feet under her. Doesn’t always stop a drop, but it can help. Even if you hate it, think of aftercare like dishes after dinner. Doesn’t matter if you don’t want to, you gotta fucking do it.”

 

The idea of watching over Nora afterward didn’t bother him as much as it had, other than it felt. . . personal. The rest of what they had? It was easy and without strings. Aftercare felt too much like a relationship. Too much like things he’d sworn off, things that terrified him.

 

“Every time I try to fucking teach ya something, I figure out more and more that you ain’t winning this. You don’t wanna change.”

 

“When you were fucking Nora, and you wanted to know where to come, who did she look at? That should answer your question. I have a connection with her that you do not.”

 

“For now, brother, for now. Things like that change, though, and you keep fucking this up? Yeah, she’ll toss you out. You’ve got a few days here, at most, then you’re heading back. How are ya gonna play this up on that ship? Because I can’t see you giving her shit there, not in front of your fancy Brotherhood buddies. So, yeah, you and her have some connection now, but I got no doubts that you’ll fuck that up and fast. Learning your p’s and q’s ain’t gonna save this.”

 

Nora’s shout drew both their attention. She yelled at a woman, MacCready between them, hands on each of their chests to keep them apart.

 

Arthur couldn’t catch the individual words, though he was pretty sure he caught whore and bitch. Both from Nora.

 

Lovely behavior.

 

“Is she always like this?”

 

Hancock chuckled, still leaning back, seeming in no hurry to intervene. “Oh no. Usually, she’s worse. We’ve been here two hours and this is the first fight she’s started, and it only involved one little girl. By this point she’d usually have a full brawl going.”

 

Arthur frowned. “So, this is why she always comes back to the Prydwen with bruises?”

 

“She’s a spitfire, what can I say? Girl enjoys her fun.”

 

“And you just allow her to fight?”

 

“She holds her own. Besides, it gets too rough? We jump in a bail her out. You can’t control her.” Hancock chuckled, like he realized how stupid that sounded. “What I mean is, you can’t change her. She’s always gonna be a loose wire. She’s always gonna be Nora who drinks too much and starts fights, who gets pissed off and throws punches. Doesn’t matter how often you tie her ass down and fuck her, she’s not changing. If you’re thinking this is going to magically turn her into you, yeah, that shit ain’t happening.”

 

With that, the other woman threw the first punch, aiming around MacCready. Arthur knew Nora could move faster, but she let the hit land.

 

Hancock huffed. “She likes to let ‘em hit her first. Get’s them comfortable and she feels justified in beating the shit out of ‘em.”

 

Arthur stood, ready to stop it, but Hancock grabbed his jacket and yanked him backward.

 

“Let her. You ever really seen her? Bet you always stop her. Come on, it’s worth a show.”

 

“Someone is going to shiv her.” Arthur sat back down, crossing his arms to watch.

 

MacCready ducked out of the way, throwing his arms up like he’d seen this before and knew it was hopeless. The woman charged Nora, and they went down. A man walked in, pulling his leg back to kick. MacCready threw a punch at the man, and all hell broke loose. The fight spread like a sinkhole, pulling in people with no problem and turning them into pissed, raging radstags. 

 

“Guess that’s our sign.” Hancock took one more drink of his whiskey before dropping the bottle on the counter.

 

What use was one pretty damned small ghoul going to do in a bar fight? The idea that Hancock had any position of power, especially one he seemed to hold by fear and respect was something Arthur couldn’t understand. It seemed as if a strong wind could knock him over.

 

At least until he watched the ghoul move through the crowd.

 

Hancock moved like a whirlwind. He threw an elbow into someone’s jaw, then ducked to avoid another body. He slid between people, throwing dirty jabs and knees, not one to fight clean.

 

Arthur shook himself out of his stupor and followed. He was less agility and more brute strength. When one drunk man ran into him, Arthur shoved him away.

 

In a moment, they’d cleared the way to Nora and the woman, who still wrestled. Nora punched the woman once more, and when the woman stopped moving, Nora stood.

 

She raised her hands like a champion cage fighter, turning as if for a crowd.

 

Hancock reached out and helped MacCready to his feet, patting the kid on the back. “Nice work, brother. Charlie will give you free drinks tonight, huh?”

 

Arthur reached out grabbed Nora, avoiding the elbow she threw at him. “Sorry, sweetheart, but I learned to avoid your elbow after the first time.” He twisted her around, leaned down, and put her over his shoulder. “I think you’ve had more than enough fun today, and you know my rule about fighting.”

 

Nora struggled on his shoulder. "You have a rule against starting fights on YOUR ship, and in case you haven't looked around, we aren't on your ship. We're on Hancock's ship, and he likes fights."

 

Hancock walked up and slapped her ass. “Why don’t you settle down before he drops ya, sunshine?”

 

“I can’t believe you just spanked me in public.” Nora’s voice was low, hissing toward Hancock he stood beside Arthur. “I am a Brotherhood Knight, and, and, General of the Minutemen, and also other equally impressive titles I’m forgetting at this moment.”  

 

Arthur slid his hand up her thigh, dipping below the dress and beneath her panties to find her soaked. He slid two fingers into her. “Seems like you enjoyed it, Nora. Do you want us to continue this here or back at the Statehouse? Because, I’ll go set you on that bar and take you there. You’d look nice, naked and panting and moaning as everyone watches you. Or maybe I’ll sit in one of those chairs and have you ride me, facing away, of course, because I’d never deny anyone a good look at you.”

 

She shuddered, cunt squeezing around his fingers like she was imagining it. Each filthy idea that slid from his lips had her pulsing around his fingers, her hips shifting.

 

Hell, he was imagining them and more. Here, he could do things he couldn’t on the Prydwen, like take her in public. He wasn’t a shy man when I came to sex, and some part of him loved the idea of other people seeing who she belonged to, seeing that she trusted him, that she wanted him. It was one reason he enjoyed watching Hancock fuck her. Someone else might get to take her body, because he allowed it, but she was still his.

 

His? He shook his head to dislodge the thought. Still. . . too far. Though he’d let the idea stay longer than before. What would it feel like for her to be his? To really give in to this? He’d had plenty of subs before, single time flings, a few on and off again casual things, but how would it feel to have one all the time? To walk into his quarters after a long day and have her there? Willing and smiling and playful? To fall asleep with her beside him, to wake up to her in the mornings? To have someone to take care of, to watch over? 

 

Fuck. . . he liked the idea.

 

Hancock moved behind Arthur, probably looking Nora in the eyes. “What do you say, sister?”

 

She swallowed hard, but shook her head. “Not here, please.”

 

“Ain’t gotta say please. This goes how you want it to, which means if you don’t want to do something, you ain’t gotta beg us not to do it.”

 

Arthur pulled his fingers from her, setting his hand on her ass instead to keep her steady. He walked her up the stairs, headed toward the Statehouse.

 

She might not be ready for public play yet, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have a hell of a night ahead of them anyway, especially since she knew his rules about fights, no matter what smart assed comment she had for him. 

 


	15. Chapter 15

Nora bounced once on the bed when Arthur dropped her onto it. She jammed a finger at Arthur. “I can’t believe you just carried me across Goodneighbor over your shoulder. I have a reputation to uphold here.”

 

“This is Goodneighbor, sunshine. We’re used to things like this.” Hancock pulled his jacket off, then his shirt. “But I think you’ve got bigger things to worry about right now than your reputation.”

 

“Like what?” Damn, when had her voice turned breathy?

 

“Like the fact you were in another fight. You know I hate you fighting. Hancock here says I need to just ignore it, but seeing you risk yourself recklessly just doesn’t put me in a very lenient mood.” Arthur removed his clothing in the same efficiency as Hancock. “Strip, Nora.”

 

Nora didn’t move right away, distracted by the two men in front of her. They looked entirely different. Arthur was all muscle where Hancock was thin. Arthur’s skin lacked scars, where Hancock’s was covered in radiation burns. Still, they both made her feel protected.

 

At least until Arthur cocked that eyebrow up and she was reminded of his order. She reached behind her to pull down zipper, but the grip was too far.

 

Hancock knelt on the bed and reached behind her, his body crowding hers. He fastened his lips to her neck as he slid the zipper down, his fingers dancing down the exposed skin. He slid his fingers beneath the thin straps, pulling them down her shoulders, exposing her breasts. “Well, look what I found here.” His lips closed over a nipple as he pushed the dress to her waist.

 

Nora lifted her hands to his shoulders as his lips played her. He always managed to make her forget everything but his touch. Hancock rolled, tugging her with him.

 

It left him with his back against the wall, and her kneeling in front of him, between his legs. He pulled her into a kiss, his ruined lips sliding against hers. His kiss was warm, his tongue rough as it coaxed a moan from her.

 

A hand on her hip had her jumping, breaking the kiss.

 

“You had her very distracted. It’s just me.” Arthur’s breath spilled across her back before he pressed a kiss to her shoulder blade, then bit the flesh there. “Then again, that might not be much comfort, is it?”

 

She gasped, and Hancock captured her lips again, swallowing the sound. Hancock’s rough fingers caught her nipples, toying with them. He wasn’t rough, rolling gently them until they pebbled, brushing his thumbs over the tips.

 

She moaned and arched into the touch, her hips shifting, seeking something.

 

“You know, you never managed to undress,” Arthur reminded her as he slid the dress down her sides and over her hips, taking her panties with them. He worked the material beneath her knees until it all came off. “I think I’ll forgive you this time since Hancock insists on distracting you. It’s a wonder any of his subs can follow an order.”

 

Hancock broke the kiss, looking over her shoulder at Arthur. “Unlike you, I’m not a fan of punishment. I find women react to honey better than vinegar, and it’s a lot more fucking fun. What do you think, sunshine?” Hancock’s fingers released her nipple and dipped between her legs, brushing against her clit. “More fun?”

 

Nora’s fingers dug into Hancock’s shoulders, her hips arching forward toward his fingers. “Yes. Much better.”

 

Arthur huffed from behind her, an annoyed sound before he tangled his hand in her hair and gripped. He yanked, hard enough to draw a whimper from Nora and pull her up to her knees.

 

Hancock’s fingers never stopped moving against her, even as she straightened.

 

Arthur’s chest pressed against her back. “I know you, Nora. You can pretend all you want, but I know what you want, because it’s the same thing I want.” He leaned in and bite down on her shoulder hard enough she pulled forward.

 

The pain melted into something else, however, especially since Hancock’s fingers continued. Nora’s gasp twisted into a moan.

 

Arthur reached one hand around her to capture a nipple between his fingers, a stark contrast from the way Hancock had touched her. He closed his fingers roughly, the touch turning into a sting that had her head falling back against his shoulder until Arthur released her nipple.

 

“Well, I’m not one for much pain, but I can’t deny how pretty she looks, all flushed like that.” Hancock leaned in and soothed the nipple that Arthur had let go of. His tongue slid across it, lips latching on in a gentle pull.

 

Arthur pushed her forward so she leaned over Hancock again. “I’m never leaving her with you, Hancock. You’ll spoil her rotten.”

 

“And she’ll love every minute of it, won’t you, sunshine? We’ll have some fun and leave Arthur on his own to glare and yell at shit alone.” Hancock smiled at Nora before pulling her into another kiss with his free hand behind her neck, the other hand still toying with her clit. It wasn’t enough to get her off yet, but enough to wind her up.

 

#

 

The red mark that would bruise on Nora’s shoulder pulled all Arthur’s protective instincts up. He couldn’t help it; something about marking her made him possessive.

 

Not that he minded Hancock’s hands on her. Despite their little competition, he’d grown to at least tolerate Hancock, as if the ghoul offered something to Nora he didn’t.

 

“Now, Nora, are you listening? Try to pay attention.”

 

Hancock broke the kiss, tossing an arrogant grin over her shoulder.

 

“Let me know you’re listening,” Arthur repeated, one hand gripping her hip.

 

“I’m listening, sir.”

 

“Good. I’m planning on taking your ass tonight, Nora. You took Hancock’s fingers so well, I think you’re ready. Are you going to let me do that?”

 

“Yes. Please.” Her voice was almost a plea, a shudder running through her body. She must like the idea. “Wait. Will you both. . .”

 

Hancock answered. “Not tonight. Gotta take things slow, get you ready. If you take him well tonight, maybe you’ll be able to handle us both soon. Don’t stress about it, though. I promise I can keep you plenty distracted.”

 

Arthur shook his head at Hancock’s smirk, the way the ghoul was so damned sure of his own skill. Still, he couldn’t deny it was nice. He could focus on taking her while Hancock made sure she stayed distracted and enjoying it. It was hard to turn down an extra set of hands.

 

Hancock leaned over, pulling the bottle of lube from the nightstand and tossing it over Nora, to Arthur. He caught it easily and popped the lid over with one thumb. He dribbled some onto two fingers, rubbing the fingers with his thumb to warm it.

 

Damn it. Hancock was rubbing off on him, making him want to warm it, first.

 

As if he caught it, Hancock laughed before pulling Nora back into another kiss.

 

Of course, she tensed up for a moment when Arthur brushed his finger over her hole. Still, between Hancock’s kisses and the touch of his fingers, she relaxed.

 

Arthur tightened his grip on her hip to keep her still as he pressed against her, gentle alternating thrusts of his fingers until he slid in.

 

Nora’s gasp had him grinning. Her surprise had him pushing deeper into her, wanting to draw more of those sounds from her.

 

He worked her slowly, but didn’t stop, didn’t change his rhythm. He worked her open with one finger, then added a second, scissoring them to help her adjust. She whimpered, no longer kissing Hancock back, her forehead pressed to the ghoul’s shoulder.

 

“How ya doing there, Sunshine?” Hancock kissed her ear, running the fingers of his free hand through her hair.

 

She nodded.

 

“Let me hear you.”

 

“I’m okay.”

 

“I think you’re ready, Nora.” Arthur groaned when she clenched around his fingers at that, like she knew what he meant. “Do you want to stop?”

 

She lifted her head and looked over her shoulder, sweat matting her hair against her forehead, eyes glazed. “Don’t stop, Arthur. Please don’t stop. I trust you.”

 

He froze for a moment, swallowed hard. She trusted him? The words made this real, somehow.

 

“Get to it, Maxson.” Hancock’s voice had Arthur shaking his head and waking up.

 

“Right. Yeah. Alright, Nora. Hold onto Hancock’s shoulders. It might sting a bit, but I’ll go slow.” Arthur lifted the lube and applied more, this time to his cock. He didn’t want to hurt her, not like this, not for her first time.

 

Nora set her hands on Hancock’s shoulders and this time he pulled her into a deep kiss.

 

Arthur took the moment to fit his cock against her ass, one hand on himself, one on her hip. He leaned forward, using the same shallow thrusts he had with his fingers to gain access. Finally, he slid in, just an inch, but the tightness around him had him gripping her hip hard enough to bruise and drawing in a deep breath.

 

Hancock continued to kiss Nora, though it was clear she wasn’t reciprocating anymore.

 

Arthur didn’t give her much time to think, because he’d found her thinking was rarely a good thing. He moved his other hand to her other hip to hold her as he continued to slide deeper, inch by inch. After a moment, he’d seated himself fully, her body pressed against his.

 

“Fine, I can admit, she looks damn nice when she’s in a little pain,” Hancock said before moving his fingers faster between them. His other hand moved between them as well, grasping his own cock. “This is quite the sight, I have to say.”

 

“Are you okay, Nora?” Arthur’s fingers twitched around her hips with the desire to thrust. She kept tightening around him, almost like her body was fighting him, and it made him want to pull back and shove in hard.

 

She shifted her hips, pulling forward then rocking back. “Yes. Fine. Get to it already, would you?”

 

Arthur laughed. She was trouble, always. “Try to hold on, then.” He pulled back, then slid back into her. He didn’t go fast, but took her in a deep, hard pace.

 

She started to tremble beneath his hands, her hips shifted, meeting his thrusts, a steady string of moans escaping her throat.

 

Damn. There was no chance of holding on long, not with the way she writhed, the way his cock disappeared into her. He reached one hand forward to take her hair again, pulling her head back. He used it as a leash as he fucked into her harder.

 

It took another two thrusts before he came, spilling into her, shuddering and holding her still until he finished filling her.

 

Hancock must have noticed, because he moved his arm in another motion before Nora arched backward, giving slack on her hair, her ass tightening around his softening cock. It was almost uncomfortable, he pulled backward to slide the rest of the way out.

 

Nora slid over, off Hancock, who rose and grabbed two towels. He threw one to Arthur, using the other to clean himself. He must have come as well, since he wiped white streaks off his hips and stomach.

 

Arthur used one towel to wipe himself before cleaning Nora off and tossing the dirty towel into the same bucket Hancock had tossed his into.

 

Nora shivered, her thighs rubbing together and drawing a whimper from her.

 

Arthur wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as his hand rubbed against her arm. “Are you feeling okay?”

 

She nodded, curling against him. “Tired, and a little sore.”

 

Arthur laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, that’ll happen. Get some sleep.”

 

And for once, she didn’t argue. Her lids drifted close after her arm wrapped around his chest, gripping him even in her sleep.

 

Across the way, Hancock had his pants and hat on again but still shirtless, leaning against the doorway. His arms were crossed over his chest and he smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his black eyes. He tipped his hat, then shut the door and left Arthur and Nora alone.

 

And worse than the affection he had for Nora? Because that, that he’d started to get used to, that he’d started to accept. Yeah, he cared about her, more than just as a fling. He knew it, and he could probably even admit it at some point.

 

But worse than that, was the uncomfortable guilt at watching Hancock walk away alone.


	16. Chapter 16

 

Arthur sat across from Hancock, fingers tapping along the arm of the couch.

 

They needed to leave, and he found himself reluctant to do so. The time away, the time on his own, had been nice. Time spent when he didn’t have to be anyone else, when he didn’t have to take care of anyone else.

 

“Ain’t you a ball of nervous energy over there?” Hancock tossed an empty container of jet across the room.

 

“I’m sure Nora told you we are leaving this evening.”

 

“Heading back to your fuckin airship. Yep, I heard. Guess that means you win, huh?”

 

Arthur sighed and rubbed his temples. “I don’t think I want to win anymore, Hancock.”

 

Hancock tilted his head, throwing his arm over the back of the couch. “Oh really?”

 

Arthur drug his hangs over the tops of his thighs. “I am aware I have some shortcomings when it comes to dealing with Nora.”

 

“Or women if fucking general.”

 

“You make it so easy to talk to you.”

 

Hancock laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, brother. Go on.”

 

“I’ve done better as I’ve dealt with you, and Nora has done better. I don’t wish to end whatever this is. I think it’s been good for us all.”

 

“So, what? You planning on you two breezing into town every few weeks and the three of us fucking and that’s supposed to mean something? Using me as some sort of band-aid for the shit you can’t figure out?”

 

“No. I am suggesting that whatever this is, we continue it. Nora is off the Prydwen often to tend to her own business, and I know she spends time here. I think you should continue that. She can spend time on the Prydwen with me, and when schedules allow, we can still get together here.”

 

Hancock said nothing for a while, and Arthur fidgeted beneath his stare. Something about those black eyes unnerved him. Hancock seemed to see too much, know too much. Arthur was a man used to having secrets, to showing what he wanted to show and nothing more.

 

Hancock reading him meant he saw more than Arthur wanted him to.

 

Arthur tore his gaze away. “If that does not interest you-“

 

“-I never said that. Just never figured you for the sharing type, not long term. Maybe if it’s for a night, sure, but this is different and you know it.”

 

“Yes, I am aware. No matter what you believe, I care for Nora, and I do want the best for her. Of the options we have, this seems to be the best.”

 

Hancock’s fingers tapped at the back of his couch. “You talk to her about this?”

 

“Not yet, no. It seemed there was no reason to if you were not interested.”

 

“Oh, I’m interested. Besides, she still could decide to kick your ass, and your whole fucking steel assholes group, to the curb. Then she’d be mine all the time.” He grinned like the idea pleased him.

 

“You know, I’m trying.”

 

His grin faded. “Yeah, brother, I know. Problem is, I just don’t think you’ve got it in you. Doesn’t matter how many times you try this shit, some people are just too fucked up to change. You? You’re too fucked up. See, change means you gotta think about shit. You gotta open up and I just don’t see you doing that, and I suspect Nora’s gonna get her heart broken before you both realize it’s doomed and that? That pisses me off.”

 

“And what do you think I should do?”

 

“Get your shit together or bail. Stop trying to bandaid this shit with stupid ideas when what she wants is pretty damned simple. If you can’t give her something real, cut out, because all this bullshit? It’s just you jerking off instead of actually dealing with her.”

 

Arthur wanted to argue, but what was the point? Hancock wasn’t wrong. He’d made some progress, but some progress wasn’t nearly enough.

 

And he’d started to think the ghoul was right.

 

#

 

Nora brought the beer bottle to her lips, gaze searching the bar. The Dugout Inn wasn’t her favorite place, but the company wasn’t bad.

 

Beside her, Arthur drank his own beer, dressed in a casual outfit that wouldn’t draw attention.

 

They needed to return to the Prydwen, to get back to real life. The time in Goodneighbor had been good. Far better than Nora would have ever expected, but it couldn’t last forever. They both had responsibilities beyond whatever fun they had with Hancock.

 

The stop in Diamond City was oddly due to Arthur’s request. He’d claimed they could use a good meal and a night of peace before returning to the fold, and that one extra night would not harm them. Plus, he claimed to want to see the city, though Nora got the sense that was a lie.

 

Arthur’s hand on her thigh made her jump. He smiled as he took another drink with the beer in his other hand. “Relax, Nora.”

 

“You make me jumpy.”

 

“Do I?” His fingers slid up her thigh, touch light enough she shivered. “Why is that?”

 

“Because I can’t think when you do that.”

 

“Do what?” He cupped her cunt through her pants, hidden beneath the table. Not that anyone looking hard enough might not be able to tell.

 

She moved her hand to his, but his lifted eyebrow had her stilling. She took a deep breath and set her hands back on the table.

 

“Good girl.” He slid closer until his side pressed against hers. “Set your forearms on the table and lean toward me. Unless you’d like everyone in this room to know I’m about to finger beneath this table you until you come.”

 

Nora pulled in a shaky breath but followed the order. The chill of the metal tabletop made her shudder as his fingers rubbed against her through the fabric. She tilted her head toward his so it looked like two people on a date.

 

Two normal people having a date. But they weren’t normal, and right then? Right then she didn’t think she cared.

 

His fingers went to the button of her pants, flicking it open in an easy move. He slid them just inside the waist of her pants but stilled. “If you don’t want this, you can say so, as always.”

 

Instead of answering, Nora spread her legs. This part of Arthur? She loved this part, the wild part, the fun part. It was what happened when they stopped playing that hurt.

 

“This is something I like about you, Nora. You surprise me.” His hand slipped into her pants, fingers venturing into her underwear and pressing against her. “And you are always so wet for me.” He slid two fingers inside of her, the heel of his hand rubbing her clit.

 

She jerked at the hard touch.

 

“Shh, Nora. You don’t want to cause a scene.”

 

“You’re infuriating-“

 

He pressed the fingers deep into her to silence the insult. “I’m in a nice mood, Nora. Please don’t change that. My plan was to get you off, then take us back to a room for a nice night. If you can’t behave, I can take you back to the room now, and you might not enjoy the night quite so much.”

 

Nora pulled her hands into fists as she tried to stay still. “I’m sorry.”

 

He kissed her cheek, palm focusing on catching her clit with each rub. “It’s okay. I know you have a temper, and controlling it isn’t something you’ve had much practice at. Besides, I like your temper most of the time. I like the flush on your cheeks, Nora, the way her breathe hard. You’re almost there, aren’t you? So quick?”

 

She nodded, hips rotating as if she could get him to move faster, to do something. Useless, though. She knew he’d do as he pleased no matter what. She’d come when he was ready for her to, and not a moment before.

 

He hooked his fingers forward, stroking against her in a new way, one that had her gasping. Her nails dug against the table until he reached out with the far arm, the one that had his beer before, and grasped her hand. Her nails dug into him but he said nothing about it, just kept up the unrelenting pace.

 

Her breath caught as she came, her legs snapping shut around his hand. He leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss, tongue sliding past her lips even as she tensed, as the waves of her orgasm rolled through her. He pulled his fingers out of her, catching her clit on the way, lips tilting up as she gasped from the touch when she was so damned sensitive.

 

He moved back far enough he could look into her eyes, but didn’t go further. “You’re pretty like that.”

 

“Thank you.” Heat covered her cheeks and she was thankful for the lack of mirrors. She didn’t need to see how red her cheeks must have been. His praise was almost more dangerous than when he was stern. The praise snuck beneath her defenses, made her think maybe there was more to them.

 

Arthur pressed his fingers against her bottom lip, brows up in question.

 

Nora took his fingers into her mouth, licking him clean, savoring the hooded look on his face, the way his gaze tracked her lips. She tasted herself, sucking on his fingers.

 

He pulled his fingers from her mouth and caught her hand, movements quick like he couldn’t wait another moment. He guided her to her feet, then slid his arm around her waist. A nice gesture because she was not feeling overly steady on her feet.

 

She leaned into his side, trusting him, even though she knew that wasn’t a good idea.

 

#

 

Arthur guided Nora back to the room he’d rented. The sensation of her lips wrapped around his fingers stuck with him. She did throw him.

 

When he was sure she’d turn back, when he was sure she’d tell him no, that she’d turn her back on him, she didn’t. She gave and he knew damned well he took too much.

 

He locked the door behind them, and she immediately started to undress, motions fast. She hadn’t drank much, but the tiny shivers from her previous orgasm threw off her balance.

 

He tried not to smile, but couldn’t help it when her pants got stuck on her ankles and she fell over onto the bed. She toed the shoes off and finished undressing as Arthur followed suit.

 

With less falling, of course. He doubted it would carry the same level of charm as when she did it.

 

Once naked, he moved over her on the bed, taking her mouth in a kiss as he lined himself up and slid into her in one hard thurst. She arched into him, pressing up against him to take him deeper.

 

She wrapped her legs around him, trying to draw him as close as she could.

 

He gave her what she wanted, taking her hard, drawing broken gasps, especially when his body would brush her clit and she’d tighten down around him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling him closer as she took his mouth in a kiss.

 

Sure, watching her struggle and beg was good, the way she’d pull against his hold, the way she’d tremble as she tried to keep still, but he loved how damn much she wanted him, too. The way she clawed at him, unrestrained and unconcerned with how she looked.

 

What would a future look like? A real future, one where he stopped shoving her away?

 

Would she move into his quarters? Would they marry? Would she keep her position in the Brotherhood, or would she be forced to resign due to the potential conflicts of interest?

 

A spouse of someone of his rank would not be a Brotherhood member anymore. That would be unheard of, and the risk of scandal high. But Nora loved the Brotherhood, she loved being useful, working hard toward a goal. He couldn’t ask her to give that up for him.

 

Would she even want him like that? Would she want him beyond these games? If he was real, if it were just him and her without this all, would she want him?

 

The fears in his head wouldn’t stop, so he buried his face into the crook of her neck, in hair, so she wouldn’t see it. He couldn’t explain it, couldn’t make her understand, so he used his body to try and say a part of it.

 

He didn’t hold her down, he didn’t own her, just loved her for a while, drawing the sweetest sounds from her lips until he drew near to his own finish.

 

When he came, he shuddered above her, hand wrapping into her hair out of habit while he filled her. He stayed put, pressing kisses to her face, her eyebrow, her cheeks, her jaw.

 

Her fingers played with the stubble at the nape of his neck, a sign he needed to shave part of his head again. He pulled back, ready to say. . . something. Something important. Something that mattered. He just needed to get the words together.

 

Instead, Nora spoke. “I love you, Arthur.”

 

He froze, all those words crumbling.

 

“I know you probably don’t want to hear that, and I know it is really fucking stupid, but there it is.”

 

His mouth opened, then closed again. His throat closed up as he thought up a response, as his knee jerk reaction was to tell her it would never work, then flee.

 

She sat up, lips pressing together in a thin line before speaking, voice quiet. “Say something. Anything. Just talk to me.”

 

Nothing came out. All he could think about was all the times his position had taken everything from him. Hell, it had taken his father, his mother, his home. Every time he found something, it was stolen from him. It would only be a matter of time before he had to add Nora to the list of things he lost, because the wasteland was unforgiving.

 

She shook her head and moved off the bed, pulling her clothes on. “This is pointless, isn’t it? You’re never going to feel any different.”

 

He captured her wrist before she could leave. “Stay, please.”

 

“Why? We’re still at the same exact point, and you’re never going to change. Every minute I stay it just hurts more, I just see more of what I’m never going to have and I’m over it.”

 

“The Brotherhood-“

 

Nora yanked her hand from his. She grabbed the dogtags at her neck and pulled them off, throwing them on the bed. “I resign.”

 

“Don’t do this, Nora.”

 

“I can’t go back up there and do this with you anymore. Not for another day. I can’t walk around that ship and pretend you don’t mean anything to me, and watch you treat me like I don’t matter there. I’m done.”

 

“But, I-“ the words stuck in his throat.

 

Nora released a bitter laugh. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Goodbye, Elder.” She shut, the door clicking closed. Of course she didn’t slam it, didn’t scream, didn’t cause a scene. It told him exactly how finished she really was.

 

Arthur gripped her dogtags in his hands, staring at them like he could go back, like he could fix it. “But, I love you,” he whispered, finishing the words he couldn’t say to her.

 

But she was gone, and he was far too late.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is going so slow, I'm really not sure what I am doing with it, haha. HOWEVER, this has so far been all Arthur or Nora's POV and I'm thinking of writing some from Hancock's POV since he's sort of become a main part of this. So, maybe? haha. Thanks for hanging in there with me. :)


	17. Chapter 17

 

Hancock tipped the bourbon bottle back, savoring the sting. His burns meant he didn’t feel shit the way he used to, so glass shards down his throat alcohol was a treat.

 

Not to mention it helped him not think about Nora or Arthur. Fucking perfect, those two. Despite Arthur being a fuckwit, the two looked like the couple of the century. His lineage, her prewar genetics.

 

Yeah, fucking story book right there.

 

Another gulp of bourbon didn’t help wipe that away.

 

Warm fingers wrapped around his bottle and pulled it away, skin brushing his. He turned, ready to smart off to whoever stole his liquor, only to find Nora on the stool beside him, lips wrapped around the bottle as she gulped.

 

“Well, sunshine. Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes?” He leaned his elbow on the bartop and turned his seat toward her.

 

She pulled the bottle away and wiped her mouth with her sleeve, sputtering slightly. Her smoothskin throat wouldn’t react was well to the burn as he did. Light caught on a wet track on her cheeks.

 

Tears?

 

Hancock reached out and stroked a finger over her cheek to catch the corpses of the tears, which streaked the dust on her skin. “What’s with the waterworks?”

 

“I left the Brotherhood.” She took another drink. “And Arthur.”

 

Bruises at her neck had his eyes narrowing. No, too small to be hands or fingers, too thin to be a collar, and even Arthur couldn’t have been stupid enough to put a rope around her throat.

 

Hancock touched the marks. “What happened here? Do I need to have a bloody and painful conversation with a certain Elder?”

 

Her hand reached up to stroke the spot, fingers brushing his. “No. I ripped off my dogtags and threw them at him. He didn’t do this.”

 

Hancock pulled his hand away. “Sorry, sister. I know how much you wanted that.”

 

“I wanted something real and he won’t give that to me. I’m tired of waiting around for it.”

 

“So what are you doing here?”

 

She twisted toward him, lips pulled up into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You told me before if I was ever interested in something with you, I only had to say.”

 

“I did say that, didn’t I?” He stole his alcohol back and took a drink. “Didn’t think you’d take me up on it.”

 

Her back straightened, hurt skirting across her features. “You don’t have to. I can-“

 

He reached out and caught the back of her neck, pulling her forward until she stood between his thighs, and he could reach her lips. He silenced whatever stupid conclusion she’d come up with with a punishing kiss. He let his annoyance with Arthur, his annoyance with her, show in that kiss. At the end, he caught her lip between his teeth and nipped. “Never said I didn’t want to. Just don’t want to be a rebound you throw away if that Maxson brat comes sniffing around again.”

 

She tore her gaze away and shook her head. “He made it pretty clear he doesn’t feel about me like I do about him. When I told him I couldn’t do this anymore, he tried to tell me how much the Brotherhood needed me.”

 

“That idiot does stupid proud.” He grasped her chin and forced her eyes to his. “He’s an idiot. You know that, right? This is all about whatever bullshit he has in his head and not a bit about you. Don’t let his fuck ups take a shit in your head. They’ll just stink up the place.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “So how do you feel about some mischief?”

 

Her smile reached her eyes that time, a real grin, some honest humor. “You always know how to cheer me up.”

 

“The nights young, sunshine. Just you wait.”

 

#

 

Nora laughed as she threw the Molotov cocktail off the building. It slammed against the wall, no where near the window she’d been aiming for, in a blast of fire. The super mutants inside roared as they looked for a culprit, unaware that she and Hancock were safely inside Goodneighbor, on the roof of the tallest building.

 

“I used to be able to hit shit like that!”

 

Hancock chucked from his spot, sitting on the ground, legs out and crossed at the ankle, watching her. “Well, you are about ten sheets to the wind.”

 

“I thought it was three?”

 

“Oh, you passed three a while back.”

 

Nora shivered against a breeze that rustled the trash on the rooftop.

 

Hancock hopped to his feet, wavering once since he’d had his share of the alcohol too, before removing his coat. He walked over and wrapped it around Nora’s shoulders. “Don’t want you to freeze, sunshine.”

 

“Sunshine is light. How could I freeze?” She grinned, the playful flirting strange but pleasant. “If I’m wearing the coat, does that mean I’m mayor now?”

 

“Nope, sorry, the magic is in the hat.”

 

Nora reached out, grabbing for the hat, and managing to punch him in the face. “Fuck! I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

 

He laughed, that deep raspy one that said he wasn’t mad. “Lucky for you, I ain’t got a nose for you to break.” He pulled her forward, into a kiss, as he used his other hand to pull the hat from his head and set it on hers. He pulled back and smiled. “You’re fucking cute when you’re drunk, you know that?”

 

“If I’m mayor, does that mean I’m in charge?”

 

“Do you want to be in charge?” He grasped her chin, thumb brushing over her bottom lip.

 

She nipped at his thumb, rewarded with a chuckle from him. “No, I don’t think I do. But I wouldn’t mind if you lost a few more layers of clothing.”

 

“Why don’t you ask me nicely, huh? That sweet voice of yours gets you about anything you fucking want. Tell me what it is you’re wanting.”

 

She wrapped her arms over his shoulders and leaned in, lips trailing kisses along his cheek, then to the hinge of his jaw. “I need you, Hancock.”

 

“I think Hancock is a little formal, don’t you?”

 

She leaned back so she could look at him, eyebrow cocked up. “Daddy?”

 

He barked out a laugh before sliding a hand to her lower back and pulling her against him. Every hard edge of him pressed against her. He wasn’t much like Arthur, not physically. He was thin, stomach sinking in, hip bones sticking out sharply. Muscle laid over his bones, a wily, deceptive strength. He wasn’t as tall as Arthur either, his face coming to just above hers.

 

“Oh, you are just my type of trouble. Let’s get this freakshow inside, huh?”

 

#

 

Hancock chuckled as Nora posed in his coat and hat by the bed, her leg angled out to the side, hand on her hip, other hand on the point of the hat.

 

She was fucking adorable.

 

Then the front of the coat fell open, and she was a lot more than adorable. She’d removed her clothing so she only wore his fucking coat and hat. It showed the inside curves of her breast but hid her nipples, fucking teasing coat. His gaze drifted down to her hips, her thighs, all that tempting area between ‘em.

 

“I only turned my back for a minute, sunshine. You’re fast.” He took a hit of his jet before tossing it on the nightstand and walking up to Nora.

 

He tangled his hands into her hair to hold her still as he took her mouth in another kiss. Her hands fumbled with his shirt, unbuttoning it and pushing it down his shoulders. He released her long enough to slid the fucker off.

 

She did the same to his pants, nails scratching his stomach as she undid them then shoved them down his hips.

 

He moved her backward to the bed, then rolled her over to her knees. He slid the coat up so it hung over her hip on one side.

 

“Don’t spank me, please,” she said, voice soft.

 

Fuck, that hurt. She said it like she thought he’d be mad. Arthur had fucked this shit up. He ran his hands up her thighs, then to her hips. “Nah, sunshine. I won’t. You’re too drunk, for one. Without all your sense, you can’t tell what’s too much. Ain’t safe like that.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lower back, just above her tailbone. “You ain’t gotta ask like that, either, like you’re disappointing me.” He leaned to the side, kissing the back of her left hip. “It’s okay to tell me to fuck off for anything you don’t want.” He repeated the kiss on the other side. “Not planning anything rough tonight, though. Just gonna show you a good fucking time, yeah?” He pressed his hand to her shoulder blades until she lowered herself to her elbows.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.”

 

Hancock pressed his fingers against her cunt, his other hand pressing against her back to keep her still. “I love when you squirm, sister.”

 

“Hurry up.”

 

He laughed at her impatience before he slid two fingers into her. Her cunt tightened around him and she moaned, trying to rise up. His hand on her back kept her in place. “I would hurry if you could keep still.”

 

She sucked in a deep breath but went still. “Please, John.”

 

He angled his hand so he could rub her clit with his thumb. “What happened to Daddy?”

 

“You call me sister already. You have some sort of family fetish?” Her words broke when he stroked against her g-spot.

 

“I call everyone sister or brother. Ain’t got nothing to do with blood. You though? You ain’t everyone. You’re mine.” He added a third finger into her, twisting his hand to toy harder with her clit. She was shaking, so damned close, so he leaned forward, pressing more weight to her back. “I’ll know when I have you far enough gone, because you’ll be calling that, huh?”

 

She gasped, cunt squeezing around his fingers as she writhed. “Fuck. Please.”

 

He pulled his thumb away from her clit as her breath caught, just before she came. “Guess you’re not there yet. Ah, look at that, you got sweat on your back, sunshine. You want something?”

 

“Come on, John. Don’t be an asshole.”

 

“But I’m so good at it. Come on, you just gotta say one little thing.” He brushed his thumb against her clit and she gasped, trying to move her hips backward for more. He slid his fingers deeper into her, and she moaned. “So close. After you come, I’m gonna fuck you, sweetheart, so give in. I mean, I got nothing else to do. Don’t mind at all doing this all night.”

 

She whimpered, breath harsh, hips twitching to get more contact. “Please?”

 

“Pretty begging, but not what I want to hear.”

 

She twisted her face so she could see him. “Daddy?”

 

Fuck if that wasn’t just ripped outta her throat, but her flushed cheeks said all he needed to know. He hooked his fingers down and rubbed against her clit hard, releasing her back so he could lean down and kiss her as she came on his fingers.

 

She didn’t kiss back, her body twisting as she rode out the orgasm, his fingers never stopping until she whimpered and pulled away.

 

Hancock grinned, then rolled her to her back, spread her legs, and moved between her thighs, sliding into her.

 

She shoved at his shoulders, gasping at how sensitive she was, cunt still squeezing down around him. He took her wrists in his hands and held them above her head in a tight grip, taking her mouth in another kiss before sliding back and thrusting into her. He pulled back to nip at her throat. “Too much?”

 

“No. Just right. Keep doing that.”

 

He moved both her hands to grasp in one of his, his other hand reaching down to stroke against her clit.

 

Her hips jerked up at the touch, a string of filthy words spilling from her lips.

 

“One more, sunshine. I want to see you come one more time wrapped around me. You think you can do that? For me?”

 

She shook her head for a moment before taking a deep breath. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

 

He laughed and leaned closer, kissing her throat before flicking his fingers over her clit. He closed his fingers around her clit and pinched, and she came undone beneath him.

 

Her hips lifted again, almost seeming to try and throw him off as she tightened around him enough that he had to stop moving.

 

“Fuck.” He came, because holding off as she tightened around her would have been a miracle, and he didn’t believe in those. “Oh, fuck me, I love you, sunshine.”

 

She froze beneath him, his hips lazily thrusting as he softened, pressing kisses to her chest, her neck, anything he could reach.

 

Why wasn’t she moving? He lifted up to look down at her. “You okay?”

 

“You just told me you loved me.”

 

No he hadn't. He frowned as he thought back. Oh fuck. . . he had.

 

“I, uh, I guess I did, didn’t I?” He moved back, slipping from her. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

 

She nodded, sitting up a bit. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I didn’t think you could have meant it.” She tore her gaze away from him, drawing her legs together, retreating.

 

Fuck Arthur for turning her into this.

 

Hancock grabbed the lapels of the coat she still wore, though the hat had gotten lost at some point, and pulled her forward so he could press his forehead against hers. “Didn’t say I didn’t mean it. I just said I didn’t mean to say it. Yeah, I fucking love you. Have for a while. Didn’t say it because it’s been pretty clear you’ve been chasing someone else. Ain’t gotta say it back, I don’t need that, I just need to know you could love me back.” Fuck, he hadn’t meant that to come out so damned needy. The fuck was wrong with him?

 

Nora smiled back, a spark of that confidence back in her face. “Yeah, John. I could love you.”

 

He could work with that.

 


	18. Chapter 18

 

Nora pulled at the collar of her vaultsuit while she ate breakfast, John sitting across from her, his feet up on the chair beside her.

 

They hadn’t spoken that morning, especially since Nora snuck out of the bed before he’d woken. She’d dressed, grabbed breakfast for them, and tried to force her hair into some semblance of order since her head was in chaos.

 

Had he really said he loved her?

 

The words she’d been desperate to hear from Arthur came from John. Unexpected, but not unwelcomed. She’d been so busy digging her fingers into Arthur, she’d missed paying attention to John.

 

He had his coat on, his hat, his stupid flag around his waist. The man always looked like a walking parody, but maybe that was part of his charm.

 

Something touched her thigh, and she jumped, expecting a hand, expecting someone to grab at her. Instead, it was John’s boot as he nudged the outside of her thigh.

 

“Deep in thought there, sister. Way too fucking early for you to look so confused. Anything I can help with?”

 

“I was thinking about last night.”

 

“And it makes you look that sad? Because that means I really fucked up.”

 

She shook her head, pushing the food around on her plate. “No. That part was good.”

 

He chuckled. “That blush is more like it. So come on, out with it. What’s wrong?”

 

“I never thought you'd see me like that. We’ve travelled together a lot, done a lot of shit together, and you’ve never let on any of that. I mean, sex is one thing, but more? It just threw me.”

 

John tapped his knuckles on the table. “Yeah, well, I ain’t one to show my cards. Never expected you to be into ghouls, let alone me. First time I offered, when you came crying about Arthur? Expected you to wing me for it, but you let me touch you instead. Then you let me touch you more and, well, here we are. Hoped you’d fall for me before I went and made an ass of myself, but whiskey loosens everyone’s tongue, even mine.”

 

“I didn’t say it was bad. I just said I wasn’t expecting it. I thought what we were doing was just fun.”

 

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re a lot of fucking fun, sunshine. I don’t want just fun, though. I want a lot fucking more.”

 

“What do you want?”

 

He grinned, setting his elbow on the table. “I want everything.”

 

#

 

John shoved at the paperwork on the desk. Fuck, he hated paperwork. Always had. It bored him and when he was bored, he got into trouble.

 

Worse, he had fucking meetings after this. Nothing but bullshit all day. Nora was off with MacCready, running some errand to Hangman’s Alley, left right after breakfast. Woman was tough as fuck, and with MacCready at her back? She’d be fine.

 

Still, she got to be out having fun and probably shooting shit while he was stuck in meetings and paperwork.

 

Sometimes life just wasn’t fair.

 

The door opened, and who strolled on in but the woman herself. Dirt streaked over her cheek, along with a bruise.

 

He whistled. “Run into trouble?”

 

“Nothing we couldn’t handle.” She came over, sliding her leg over him and straddling his lap. “Missed you, though. Do you have time for a break?”

 

He set his hands on her hips. “Oh, sunshine, I wish I did. Got another meeting in like five minutes. Some fucker who wants to get a deal cut on chem delivery. Same shit as always.”

 

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, then followed over to his jaw. “Come on, John. You’ve been working too hard, and I’m lonely.”

 

He wrapped a hand in her hair to pull her back and look into her eyes. “You feeling neglected?”

 

“A little.”

 

He grinned, then used a hand on her hip to moved her off his lap and forward. Her frown had him smiling as he situated her on her knees, moving her beneath the desk. “Don’t frown at me, hmm? You were lonely, must be bored, figured I’d give you something to do during my meeting.”

 

“Can anyone see me?”

 

He stroked his fingers over her cheek. “Nah. This old desk goes to the floor. No one’ll be able to tell a fucking thing long as you keep the noise down. You want that?”

 

She drug her tongue over her bottom lip, then nodded.

 

“Good. You set your hand on my thigh. Tap if you need me to back off, and if you decide you don’t like this, you just squeeze down and we stop. I’ll kick the fuck out whoever is here, okay? Come on, let me hear ya.”

 

Nora set a hand on his thigh. “Okay.”

 

Hancock scooted the chair in, thankful for the huge fucking desk. Gave Nora more than enough room down there.

 

Her hands ran over his thighs, first, a slow and teasing touch. Probably getting herself comfortable. He undid his pants and shifted them down enough to give her access. Might be sort of obvious if he was pulling that shit when someone came in.

 

A knock on the door had Nora hesitating, hands stilling.

 

“Come on in,” he called.

 

The door opened and the fucker trying to negotiate him into the poorhouse walked in. “Hey, Hancock.”

 

Nora’s hand reached into his pants, grasping his cock and pulling it from the confines of the clothing. He wasn’t hard yet, but when her lips pressed against him, he was on the fucking way there.

 

“Hey-“ fuck, what was his name? “hey, brother.”

 

Nora’s breath spilled over him as if she’d snorted. He reached down and wrapped his fingers in her hair, gripping tight in warning.

 

She responded by toying with him with her tongue, the warmth of her mouth drawing all the fucking blood in his body right to his cock.

 

“So, I’m wanting to find a better deal on the jet. Heard I can get ‘em for twenty caps a piece from someone out of Bunker Hill.” The man's voice held a hell of a lot of unearned arrogance.

 

John held in a groan when she pulled off and blew a breath over his cock, wet with her saliva. She slid her tongue along the slit at the tip, driving him mad.

 

“Yeah, well, if you want to take his fucking product, go for it. He sells it cheap because it’s shit, and we both know it.” John used her hair to push her back onto him, her mouth enveloping his cock again. She didn’t struggle, didn’t tap. She breathed through her nose and used her tongue on the underside of his cock.

 

“Come on, Hancock. We’ve been buyers for years.”

 

“And that means I won’t break your fucking fingers for trying this shit with me.”

 

Nora slid further forward, and his free hand tightened around the paper in his hand until it crumpled. Fuck. She kept that up, sliding back, then taking him deeper, until she gagged once and he faked a cough to cover it.

 

The man tapped is fingers on the desk. “Let’s do thirty a piece, huh? Let me feel like I’m winning here. Shitty product might still be worth it for the right price.”

 

“Price is fifty. Pay it or fuck off.” His jaw tightened as Nora worked him, her throat tight around his cock as she took him as deep as she could, her lips at the base of his cock. He sucked in a deep breath, but damn he was close. He wanted to be done with this asshole, to haul Nora back into his lap and fuck her for teasing him.

 

“Be reasonable. Forty?”

 

Nora reached her free hand into his pants to cup his balls, swallowing around his length, her throat milking him.

 

John snapped. “Fine. Fuck, fine. Forty. Get the fuck out, now.”

 

The man’s eyes went wide. Hadn’t thought he’d get anything, clearly.

 

John growled, a low sound that anyone would know better than to stick around. “Out, now.”

 

He nodded. “Right, thanks Hancock.” The man rushed out, door slamming shut.

 

John pushed his chair back and pulled her off him by her hair.

 

She laughed, fucking laughed, the tease.

 

John grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet, then twisted her around and shoved her forward so she laid over the desk. His fingers reached around her and undid her pants, pulling them off along with the underwear.

 

He rubbed his fingers over her cunt. “Soaked, sister. You enjoyed that? Liked screwing with me in front of people, huh?”

 

Her giggle had him leaning down and biting her hip hard enough to lead a red mark. She gasped, back arching, hips moving toward him.

 

He gripped himself and lined up, then shoved into her with a hard thrust. “You know I just lost a bunch of caps, right? Should have negotiated better, but all I could think about was getting you over this desk.”

 

“Should learn to focus better.”

 

He shifted her hips back enough to reach around her and stroke her clit. “Oh, I’ll show you focus. Maybe next time, I’ll make you give a speech out on that balcony while I’m between your legs, huh? Think you could keep your attention going? Think you could say shit?”

 

She whimpered, fingers digging into the desk.

 

“What was that, sunshine? Didn’t quite catch it. Fuck, I’d love to take you for longer, but my next meeting will be here in ten minutes, tops. Unless you want ‘em to see me fucking you on this desk, let’s move this along, huh?” She tightened down around him and he chuckled. “Well ain’t you the exhibitionist? Like that idea? Of them coming in here while I’m deep inside you? Hell, maybe I’ll just keep the meeting going while I fucking you.”

 

She tightened down around him like a vice as she came, and he groaned as he came inside her, her cunt squeezing around him.

 

Her body shivered beneath him when he put a hand on the desk to leverage himself back upright, pulling out of her. He reached into his desk for a rag, wiped her off, then helped her get her pants back up.

 

She twisted, setting her ass on the desk in front of him, face that pretty red it got when she decided to go all shy. Funny that he could fuck her like he did, that they could say and do such filthy things, but she turned into a blushing virgin the second they were done.

 

"You're too fucking perfect." He pulled her into a kiss, moving between her legs to pull her tight against him.

 

A knock on the door had him groaning, and her lips tilting up.

 

“Fuck off!” He yelled.

 

“What was that?” The startled voice outside had him growling.

 

Nora pulled away. “It's okay. I’ll see you tonight?”

 

John laughed and buttoned his own pants before sitting back in his chair. “Count on it, sister.”

 


	19. Chapter 19

 

Arthur forced himself to pull in a deep breath instead of going across the desk at the soldier seated there. What the hell?

 

He wasn’t Nora. He wasn’t some undisciplined recruit with the luxury of fist fights. So why exactly was he so tempted to throw a punch at Gavil? The man hadn’t done anything, yet every time he ended up in front of Arthur, he had to remind himself that he was Elder, not someone able to indulge in petty annoyances.

 

“I was wondering of you’d heard anything from Knight Jacobs?”

 

Arthur folded his hands together on the desk. “No, I’m sorry. I expect she is on a mission. She isn’t kept as in the fold as others.”

 

He hadn’t had the heart to tell anyone she’d resigned. He kept hoping she’d calm down, that she’d come back. Nora exploded into anger, someone who raged when provoked, but she also cooled with time. 

 

Time had passed, however. A month of it, and she’d yet to return.

 

He’d kept tabs on her, indirectly, of course. She had continued her work as General of the Minutemen, and they’d excelled in the time she’d had to focus on them. The patrols had grown, their members better supplied and better trained than they had been.

 

Good for her.

 

The words were bitter in his throat. He didn’t want to feel good for her, not about what she’d decided to do instead of being with him.

 

And when she wasn’t working with them? She was in Goodneighbor, on Hancock’s arm. Yeah, he knew all about that. No matter how many times he tried to tell himself he didn’t care, he did.

 

He really cared.

 

“Elder?” Gavil’s voice reminded Arthur where he was. Having a meeting, and paying no attention at all to it.

 

“I'm sorry. What were you saying?”

 

“I was saying that I am worried about Jacobs. She left suddenly the last time. I’m afraid perhaps it could have had something to do with me. She ended a relationship we had going all of a sudden and then seemed to fall out of contact. Maybe it wasn’t me, maybe she ended us because of some other problem with her life, but I am worried about her.”

 

Relationship? Arthur had to held back the roll of his eyes at the reminder of yet another competition for Nora’s affection when he hadn’t lived up to the job for her.

 

But eyerolling from the Elder of the East Coast Brotherhood wasn’t appropriate, so he managed not to.

 

Barely.

 

“I can assure you, Knight Jacobs is fine.” He hoped. It wasn’t as if she’d come running to him if she weren’t. No, she'd written him off. He couldn't imagine what it would take for her to come back. 

 

Gavil took a deep breath, then shook his head. “I am trying to be delicate here, Elder. I got the sense she was with someone else as well. That wasn’t an issue, we were hardly serious, but there were some signs that perhaps that relationship wasn’t healthy. There were bruises on her a few times, ones she lied about, and she reacted strangely a few times, quick to apologize for things that were not her fault, seeming surprised by any show of kindness. When she ended us so quickly, then didn’t come back, I’m concerned she could be harmed, that whoever she was carrying on with could be involved. I don’t mean to involve you in the personal affairs of soldiers, but I was hoping for some leave, perhaps, so I could find her.”

 

“If she ended whatever you had, why do you feel it would be wise to track her down?”

 

“Because I am not trying to start anything. I just want to make sure she is safe. I just felt it was appropriate to speak to you first, to let you know what I planned beforehand.”

 

Arthur tapped his fingers on the table, debating his options. He could deny Gavil’s request outright. However, that would imply he did not care about those beneath him, which was not true. If the request had been made and he hadn’t known what he did, he’d have sent a squad to check on Nora.

 

He could try to assure Gavil that Nora was fine, though he doubted the man would believe him.

 

He could of course come clean, but Arthur found himself reluctant to do that. First, it wasn’t anyone’s business. Secondly, with Gavil’s view of what he suspected happened, Arthur wasn’t thrilled with putting his name to that idea.

 

“I am aware of Knight Jacobs’ relationships. She is currently residing in Goodneighbor, and I can assure you that the company she keeps there is by her own choice. I personally was in Goodneighbor after she was injured. She is as safe as she would be anywhere.”

 

Gavil sighed. “I worry for her. She just seems so lost. After everything she’s been through, everything she’s lost? She’s the perfect choice for someone who doesn’t have her best interests at heart.”

 

Like Arthur. . . Someone willing to use her for their own needs without every trying to be what she really needed.

 

“But, I don’t mean to take up your time for this, Elder. Thank you for the information. I will remain here and hopefully she will return. If she does, please ask her to stop in to see me. I would appreciate just hearing from her directly that she is okay.”

 

Arthur nodded. “Yes. Of course. I will tell her the next time she check’s in.” Which would be never, but again, Arthur didn’t have the heart to say that out loud, to admit it.

 

He still expected her to return. He still thought one day, she'd walk into his quarters like nothing had happened, or he’d walk into the mess hall and she’d be there, smiling and laughing with the other soldiers.

 

Useless hope like that kept him sane.

 

#

Nora groaned as she limped into the Statehouse, MacCready’s arm around her waist. The injury wasn't bad, just an aching hip that didn't care for stairs. The bruises on her face looked worse than they felt. 

 

John was going to be pissed. He’d gotten annoyed that she rarely took him on missions, but that seemed like too much. She worried too much when he was around, spent her time more concerned about him than whatever she was doing.

 

MacCready was less complicated.

 

“Hey there, Sunshine.” John stood by his door, arms over his chest. “You keep coming back more and more battered, you know that?”

 

“Yeah, but this time I got a prize.” Nora reached into her pocket and tossed the courser chip over the John.

 

He caught it, then lifted it. “It’d take more Mentats than even I have for me to be smart enough to know what the fuck this is.”

 

Nora moved from MacCready’s side to John’s, and he took her weight with ease, chip in his other hand. “Courser chip. Thanks, Mac, I’m good now.”

 

“Great, because I’d like to wash your blood off me. You owe me so much more than a round of drink.” MacCready offered a single finger wave before heading back down the stairs.

 

John shook his head as he led Nora into the room they’d set up as their room, kicking the door shut with his heel. “You keep worrying me, sister.”

 

She winced as she sat in the chair. The stimpack she'd taken earlier had numbed most of the pain, but bending still had her hip protesting. “I’m sorry.”

 

“None of this I’m sorry shit.” He pulled another chair over. “Talk.”

 

“About?”

 

“About why you don’t bring me with you. Gotta say, I don’t care for being the worrying wife at home, especially not with how often you get yourself hurt. So talk.”

 

Nora tried to drop her gaze, but he caught her chin.

 

“None of that. Look me in the eyes and explain it to me.”

 

When he spoke to her like that, she had no hope of resisting. She drug her tongue over her lips and pulled in an unsteady breath before speaking. “I don’t like taking you with me because it scares me. I’m terrified something will happen to you and I’ll end up alone.” Her voice came out soft, the truth one she didn’t like admitting to. “I lost my husband, still don’t know if my son is alive, and I can’t handle losing you, too. So when I take you with me, I spend all my time worried about you and not enough of it focusing on whatever the hell else is happening.”

 

“You ain’t gotta worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

 

She turned her head enough so she could rub her cheek against his head, the ridges catching against her skin as she tried to sort out her thoughts. “Nate was a soldier. Did I ever tell you that? I don’t think I told you much about him. He was tough, as tough as they came, but that didn’t matter. I still lost him. I can’t lose you, John. I’m not asking you to stay behind these gates, I’m just saying, I can’t focus with you around. I’ve got to do things on my own.” Nora reached out and wrapped her fingers in the lapels of his coat, that familiar material always enough to help steady her. “You’re what I come home to, John. I need that, I need you.”

 

He pulled in a deep breath before nodded. “I don’t like it. In fact, I fucking hate it. I hate seeing you walk out that door and not knowing if you’re coming back, but I get it, and I trust ya to keep yourself safe. Well, mostly.” He nodded toward her injured leg.  “So, what’s on the courser chip?”

 

“A way into the Institute, but you’re not going to like it.”

 

He tilted his head. “Oh yeah? Let me guess. You’re gonna need help for it, and the only help that makes any sense is from a certain asshole and his metal army?”

 

“How do you do that?”

 

“Only one person makes you frown like this.” John reached between them and smoothed the lines between her eyebrows. “And that’s Arthur. So if you’ve got this face on, you know you’ve got to talk to him, and the only thing that would drive you back up there is your son.”

 

Nora smiled at how well John knew her, the way he could read her. “You aren’t mad?”

 

“Nah, sunshine, I ain’t mad. I know your kid means the world to you, and even if he’s an asshole, I know Arthur’ll do what he can to help you.”

 

“You aren’t worried?”

 

John chuckled and gripped her chair, pulling it closer to his, the metal scratching against the floor. “Why would I be? You and me? We’ve got something good here, something you didn’t have with him. You’ve been here with me for a month now, and we’ve settled into a good routine. I ain’t worried about him stealing you away from me. Now, you take a stimpack?”

 

She nodded. "Right after it happened."

 

"Good. How's the leg feeling?"

 

Nora stretched it out, testing it. "Sore, but okay. It really wasn't that bad, just got knocked into a wall."

 

"You hurt, I expect you to tell me. Got that?" He waited for a nod before he unhooked her pants. “Take ‘em off. Good girl. Now, I ain’t worried about him because you’ve come too far to fall for his bullshit again, realized you two never worked for real. Now, come ‘er, sister.”

 

#

 

John undid his pants and shifted them down enough to pull himself out of them. He stroked himself, grinning as her eyes locked on his cock, the want in her eyes.

 

Fuck, he loved that woman. He loved the way she laughed, the way she wanted him, the way she fucking fought. He loved it all.

 

She came closer, and he gripped her hip with one hand to guide her over him. She straddled his waist, sinking down onto his cock, a soft moan on her lips.

 

“That’s it. Now, you paying attention?”

 

“Not really, no.”

 

He chuckled as he grabbed her ass in a tight grip, using it to pull her up, then back down on his cock. “Well, try. See, I need to explain something important. You and Arthur fit in some weird physical way. You got some kinks that line up, and that breeds attraction. I get that better than most.”

 

“But you-“

 

John leaned in a nipped her bottom lip. “Quiet and try to listen? Yeah, you and I got some chemistry, too. I ain’t denying that. I’m explaining that I get that lust ain’t the end all of things. You can indulge in lust and it’s got fuck all to do with what we’ve got. We been doing this enough that you see the difference, don’t ya?”

 

She nodded, her hands going to his shoulders.

 

“So, no, I don’t give a fuck about you working with him. Hell, I wouldn’t even mind if you fucked him, Nora. Fuck, maybe we’ll still all play sometime. I ain’t jealous because I know you’re mine. I know we got something you and him never had, never will have.”

 

“So what’s this?” Nora nodded at where he was fucking her, slow and deep.

 

“This? Just enjoying you before you go. Gonna miss you, you know? Plus, might be reminding you of what you got here.”

 

“I thought you weren’t worried.”

 

He pulled her down into his lap at the same time he lifted his hips, pressing deeper into her. “I ain’t. Doesn’t mean I want you walking out of here without fucking you nice and hard, first.”

 

Before she could argue, he gripped her neck and pulled her down into a kiss, silencing her.

 

Yeah, he wasn’t worried, not really. Arthur had fucked himself good with her, and Nora had enough time with him to undo most of that bullshit.

 

And it hadn’t been fucking easy. Nora had been so damned unsure at first, so ready for him to be angry with her, so ready for him to expect absurd things. She hadn’t understood fuckall about how any of it worked, and every time he was sweet to her? She’d hesitated, waiting for a price to pay.

 

Worse? He couldn't even hate Arthur that much. Fucker had no idea what he was doing, just as screwed up as he'd made her. Hard to hate him for that.

 

So, yeah, she knew better, now. She’d seen better, learned better.

 

It meant even if she went up there, even if he tried anything, it wouldn’t be more than some physical fling. He didn’t care about that. Fucking was fucking.

 

John broke the kiss and leaned back in the chair, letting Nora take over the pace. She wrapped her arm around the back of his neck as she rode him, rising slowly and twisting her hips as she went.

 

Fuck, that girl could drive him crazy. Every morning he woke up beside her, needing her, wondering how the hell he’d waited as long as he had before admitting to her how bad he’d wanted her.

 

So, Arthur could fuck off with his army and his wants and his delusions of grandeur. He might get to play with her now and then, but Nora was John’s, and he wasn't letting her go. 

 

And not even Lord Maxson could change that.


	20. Chapter 20

 

Arthur stood when Nora walked in, already crossing the room to pull her into a kiss, to lift her and wrap her legs around him, to strip her down and taste every damned inch of her.

 

Until he remembered, that wasn’t them anymore. He took a deep breath, then a step backward. “Nora,” he said softly, nodding. “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

 

“You sure about that? It seems everyone here still thinks I’m in the Brotherhood.”

 

He jerked his gaze down. “I had hoped you’d reconsider. I believe you’d never harm the Brotherhood, so I saw no reason to remove your rank or access. Since it doesn’t seem you have reconsidered, what are you doing here?”

 

She sighed before walking further into the room and sitting in the chair across from Arthur. He followed the motion, taking his own seat again.

 

So close.

 

She sat so close he could reach across and pull her into a kiss.

 

But she wouldn’t welcome that, not anymore. She’d shove him away, if he were lucky, and punch him if he were honest.

 

“I need your help, Arthur.”

 

“Anything.” He hadn’t mean to say that, and certainly not so quickly, but wasn’t it true?

 

It made her hesitate, as if she’d expected to have to argue with him.  She stared at him for a moment before speaking. “I have a way into the Institute, but I can’t make it all on my own. You have the resources.” She told him the story, the amazing story he’d have never believed if it came from anyone else.

 

“You have been busy, haven’t you?”

 

“You know how it is. Went to the Glowing Sea, killed a courser, ate some junk food.”

 

He nodded, making a point of not looking at her. “How’s Hancock?”

 

“John’s good. He’s, well, he’s John. You sort of know what you’re getting with him.”

 

He tried not to picture that ghoul, stupid outfit, grin, the way he spoke sweet words even in his raspy voice. He didn’t need to think about it, because the image haunted him every time he closed his eyes. He’d see her wrapped around the ghoul, the way he’d push into her, the way he’d kiss her. Arthur didn’t mind sharing, but this wasn’t sharing. This was losing, and he hated to lose.

 

Though he loathed to admit it, Nora looked good. Whatever she had going with Hancock was good for her. She looked happy, at ease, content.

 

Everything she hadn’t been with him.

 

With? Could he even really call what they had as together? They’d fucked, and that was it. He’d felt more, and maybe she had too, but they’d never been more. Not really.

 

“Gavil asked about you,” he said.

 

“Why?”

 

“He was worried. He said he knew you were seeing someone else and was afraid that person was hurting you, that they were abusing you.”

 

“Oh.” The word came out softly, both dancing around the awkward notion of them.

 

He took a deep breath before asking what he needed to ask, the question that kept him up at night. “Was I?”

 

“Were you what?”

 

“I know I hurt you. I never meant to, but I know I did. Was I abusing you, Nora? I didn’t think so, but with how you left, with what Gavil said, what Hancock said, was I?” He asked the question with his gaze firmly planted on her feet. Easier, to look at her feet.

 

Nora’s fingers pressed below Arthur’s chin, in his beard, and lifted his face until he looked at her. “No. You didn’t abuse me. You fucked up, but I did, too.” She cupped his cheek as she spoke. “I think part of what drew me to you was that you were unavailable. I knew you wouldn’t want anything more, and that was fine with me. I was still mourning my husband, after all, and that seemed like a great plan, until it wasn’t anymore, until I stared wanting more and expecting it from you wasn’t fair. And you? I think I’m not good for you either. You see a challenge with me, and it brings out all your worse qualities. We are fun, Arthur, but we aren’t good for each other, not really.”

 

He leaned into the touch of her hand, desperate for her, for anything. “You shouldn’t touch me, Nora. Can’t imagine Hancock would be thrilled.”

 

“John isn’t the jealous type. He figures as long as I come home to him, he doesn’t really care what happens or who I do what with.”

 

“And you will go home to him, won’t you?”

 

Nora released Arthur and nodded. “Yeah, I will.”

 

Arthur sighed then stood. “Speak with Proctor Ingram. She’ll have everything you need to start on the transporter. If you need anything else, please let me know.” He walked toward the door.

 

Nora reached out and captured his hand. “Were you going to tell me you loved me that night when I left?”

 

“Yes, I was.”

 

She said nothing, just released his hand.

 

Arthur left the room without another word.

 

 

#

 

Nora hate power armor. The way it closed around her always made her breath go shallow. She’d studied it enough to know it didn’t actually compress her ribs, but she’d swear it did, that it squeezed her chest so tight she couldn’t breathe.

 

But she couldn’t build the damned transport without it. The pieces were all too heavy to move on her own, and too dangerous to try and get a few soldiers to do it.

 

So power armor was the obvious choice, no matter how little she liked it. It had sped the process, letting her set up most of the main mechanics.

 

Something groaned, then snapped.

 

A shout, but crunching metal smothered it and Nora found herself thrown to the ground.

 

She tried to shove her body back up, but she couldn’t move. Everything around her was black, the HUD not working and the glass of the helmet covered.

 

She screamed once, the sound cutting off in the middle as her mic broke, so it only echoed inside the helmet. The scream died, her throat raw.

 

She was buried.

 

Buried alive, again.

 

She panicked.

 

#

 

The metal collapsing in on Nora would never leave Arthur. The groaning of the metal as it snapped, the way it covered her, the broken scream that cut off in the middle, the silence afterward, they were things that would wake him from sleep in the years to come.

 

He’d never moved as fast.

 

Others were in suits of power armor, including Ingram, moving the huge pieces of scrap out of the way.

 

Please, let her be okay.

 

He imagined finding her like Ingram, with missing limbs that even power armor couldn’t save. When they dug down to her, however, she seemed whole. Her suit was broken, smoke escaping, the hydraulics all shot.

 

Ingram moved past him, since he couldn’t exactly lift the suit on his own. She grasped the arm and rolled Nora over, no signs of life coming from within.

 

“Knight Jacobs? Press the release if you can so we can get you out of this,” Ingram said.

 

Nothing.

 

Arthur’s voice came out a whisper. “Is she. . .”

 

Ingram lifted her hand to silence everyone as she leaned in. “I hear her breathing. It’s fast, but she’s breathing. I think she’s just panicking. Does she have a problem with small spaces, Maxson?”

 

“No. I don’t think so. I don’t know.” He didn’t know anything, did he? He had no idea what she was afraid of, what would cause her to panic. He barely knew her history, only knowing what mattered to his own mission. He hadn't ever bothered to ask anything else. 

 

Ingram nodded, sitting Nora’s suit up and going to the back. “There’s a quick emergency release here. Just a moment. Almost there.”

 

But Ingram’s almost there took forever before the power armor hissed and shifted.

 

Arthur knelt down, helping to extract Nora, pulling her against his chest despite others trying to carry her.

 

She shook against him, eyes squeezed shut but obviously awake.

 

“She’s having a panic attack,” Ingram said, peering down at Nora. “Get her up to the Prydwen and into Danse’s quarters. Somewhere familiar will probably help.”

 

Arthur followed the order despite the fact he was Elder and he gave the orders, because right then, that didn’t matter. They boarded the Vertibird and made the trip up in record time. He stopped in front of Danse’s room, but shook his head no.

 

He was going to keep a close eye on her, and she knew his quarters almost as well. He wanted her in his room, where he could watch after her right.

 

Once inside, he set her down on the bed. “Nora, breathe slower for me, please.” He kept any order out of his voice, making it soft, gentle. She didn't need him snapping or yelling, she needed him calm. 

 

She stood and pushed past him, then began to clean.

 

Clean?

 

He didn’t stop her as she went around his room. She made the bed, picked up the bottles of alcohol, organized them by type on the bartop. She lined up the pens on his desk, beside his terminal, and within ten minutes the room had been whipped into perfect order.

 

She didn’t stop, though. She took a rag and wet it with a can of purified water before wiping counters.

 

There wasn’t much else to clean, was there?

 

Nora dropped to her knees and began to scrub his floor.

 

What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to help her? So far, anything he said got no response. It was like she didn’t even hear him.

 

The rag turned pink, and the wiping of it spread that pink around the floor. Blood?

 

“Nora,” he snapped, adding that command to his voice. “Stop this.”

 

She froze, hands still on the rag.

 

Arthur crouched down and pried the rag from her hands to find cuts. She’d scrubbed the floor so hard, she’d sliced her fingers and hadn’t noticed.

 

“Look what you did,” he said, voice soft.

 

“I got blood on the floor.” The words came out on a whimper, like the only thing that mattered was that she’d dirtied the flood again.

 

“I don’t care about the floors, Nora.”

 

She ran her hands over the ground without the rag, like she could fix it, but only ended up with more mess, with fresh, red blood on the metal ground.

 

Enough.

 

Arthur grabbed a chair and sat in it, then gripped her hair and pulled her forward until she moved between his thighs. He pressed her cheek to his thigh, grip in her hair tight but not painful. “Now, be still and breathe, slowly.” He kept that edge to his voice, the one that always seemed to get through to her.

 

She shuddered, breaking through whatever mess this panic was, shattering that calm, flat exterior that had started when she’d cleaned. The shaking got worse until her teeth chattered, but he only brought his other hand forward to cup the back of her neck, thumb rubbing against her jaw in gentle circles.

 

While her breathing slowed, he stared at her.

 

Was she right about her challenging him? He didn’t feel that need to own her right then. That hard edge, it was gone in that moment. He wanted to help her, to take care of her, but the need to force her to submit was absent. He still wanted to be in control, but the harshness? The desire to keep her away? It was gone.

 

Hell, maybe she was right. Maybe he had no idea what love was anyway. Maybe this was just a power struggle to him, and maybe they were really bad for each other.

 

The shaking slowed until she rubbed her cheek against his thigh, and yeah, her proximity to his cock hadn’t gone unnoticed by his body. Not that that was the reason he’d done this.

 

Whether they worked as a couple or not, Nora was a sub. Someone she trusted, at least somewhat, taking control could calm her, so being on her knees in front of him would help. It didn’t have to be more, didn’t have to turn sexual. Right then, he just wanted to care for her.

 

And that felt different as well. . .

 

“Better?”

 

She nodded, so he moved his hand from her hair to her chin, lifting until she looked him in the eye.

 

“Explain what that was all about.”

 

“Getting trapped in a suit of power armor would set anyone off.” She narrowed her eyes, like daring him to call her on her deflection.

 

His eyebrow lifted. “Try again. We not be like we used to be, but I still dislike when you lie to me. I realize I never asked you about your past, not really. Clearly that was an oversight on my part. No one reacts like that without reason. I’d make you talk to Hancock, but he isn’t here, so you will talk to me.”

 

A soft shiver ran through Nora, but she didn’t pull away. “When they froze me, I was stuck. I woke up to watch them steal my son and kill my husband, and I could move but I couldn’t get out. I banged on the glass with my fist, but I could escape. I could only watch. I couldn’t do a damned thing.”

 

He tilted his head as he listened to all the impotent rage inside of her. Watching was the worst. The feeling that you couldn’t do a damned thing to help yourself, or those you loved, could hollow out a person. “And being trapped inside the armor took you back there?”

 

“Yeah. I didn’t mean to. . .” She twisted her head toward the clean room and the bloody floor. “To lose my mind like a fucking nutcase.”

 

He ran his finger over her bottom lip like he used to, and for a moment, he was back then. Back when he could have pulled her into his lap and kissed her until he was sure she was fine, until the image of her trapped drifted away.

 

Instead, he gave her a smile. “It happens to all of us at some point. You should talk to Hancock about this. Triggers like that don’t just go away, and he should know. I’d hate for you to panic during-“ He cut himself off and shook his head. “Just, talk to him. He’ll be able to help you.”

 

She rubbed her cheek against his thigh again. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I never asked for an apology, Nora. However, you aren’t going to work on that anymore tonight. No, don’t argue. You will lie down and go to sleep. By tomorrow, they will have removed the debris and fixed the damage, and you will be well rested. Come on, I’ll walk you to your room.”

 

“You’re going to leave me?” Was that hurt in her voice?

 

“Not a chance. I’ll sit in the chair in there in case you have a relapse, which isn’t uncommon after a panic attack.”

 

Nora shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. We’re both adults. We’re not exactly strangers. I’ll sleep here.” She paused, lips tilting down. “Unless you don’t want me to.”

 

A chance to sleep beside her? He’d take that no matter the strings. “Sure. Come on, let’s get you into bed.”

 

#

 

Nora sat on the walkway of the forecastle, her legs dangling over the edge of the Prydwen, the breeze calming her. The breeze reminded her of the ground, of the open air.

 

She’d slept well, sometime during the night Arthur having thrown his heavy arm around her. Sleeping beside him was different than John. John sometimes reminded her of a cat, the way he’d wrap around her, the burn of his skin soothing. Arthur didn’t wrap around her, didn’t cuddle. He just kept that single arm around her.

 

It had helped, though. It had kept the panic away, let her sleep through the night. He’d risen sometime before she had, leaving only food on the table and her confusion.

 

As many times as she said she was done with him, he could throw her when he looked at her, when he seemed so damned sad. But, sad or not, she wasn’t kidding. They were bad for each other. They brought out the worst in each other, both scratching for control.

 

“Hello, Nora.” Gavil’s voice has her smiling as she peered over her shoulder at him.

 

“Hey yourself.”

 

Gavil sat beside her, letting his legs dangle over the side as well. “I missed you.”

 

“Arthur said you’d asked about me. Sorry I hadn’t stopped in yet.”

 

“Arthur?” His head tilted.

 

Nora ignored the heat on her cheeks. “I mean Elder Maxson.”

 

He didn’t respond right away, staring out over the water. Finally, he spoke softly. “So it’s been Maxson. I must admit, I wouldn’t have expected that.”

 

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

 

Gavil set a hand on her shoulder. “I understand that we didn’t fit well, Nora, but I still want to be your friend. It makes sense now, my schedule changes, how Maxson reacted when I told him I was worried about you. He told me you had someone in Goodneighbor.”

 

Nora pulled in a heavy breath, then shook her head. “Arthur wouldn’t want us talking about him.”

 

“And? Elder or not, if he’s hurt you-“

 

“-he hasn’t. It wasn’t like that.”

 

“I saw the bruises on you, Nora. They weren’t dark, but they were there.”

 

“I asked him to, okay?”

 

And, there went the awkward silence she knew would happen if she approached this with Gavil. He was a sweet man, a good man, but he didn’t understand this, couldn’t.

 

“You asked him to?”

 

“Don’t act like a prude. You’ve been around enough to know people are into that.”

 

He pulled his hand away from her, quiet for a moment. “Yes, I guess I just never expected it from you. Him? Yes, I can see that, but you seem too smart for it.”

 

“It’s not about being smart. It’s like anything else, people have different taste. And, no, Arthur and I didn’t work out, and I won’t go into why, but I don’t want you thinking he’s abusive, or a woman beater, or anything like that. I moved on, it’s over, and I’m fine.”

 

“Understood. This problem between the two of you, is that why you’re not going to the Institute?”

 

“What do you mean? I’m going as soon as we finish the transporter.”

 

Gavil turned to face her then, brows pulled toward each other. “I got word this morning that you were not going, that they were looking for a volunteer and I was on the short list for it.”

 

Nora stood, ready to rush in, to confront Arthur. Gavil had to be wrong, didn’t he? Arthur wouldn’t do that to her, not after everything.

 

Gavil caught her arm to pull her to a stop. “Think this through, Nora. You can’t go in there yelling. Not even you can get away with that.”

 

Nora yanked away. “Watch me.”

 

 

#

 

Nora storming into the Command Deck didn’t surprise Arthur. If anything, it took longer than he expected. He’d planned to speak to her that evening, but word traveled fast, and the way she stormed?

 

It had traveled to her.

 

“You can’t do this to me!”

 

Arthur turned his gaze to the guards by the door. “Dismissed.” They didn’t need an audience.

 

Once alone, he addressed Nora. “Keep your voice down, please. While we don’t stand on the same protocol as others, it is unacceptable for you to be screaming at me.”

 

“Don’t pull that shit with me, Arthur. You can’t do this to me, you can’t take this away from me.” Her voice continued to yell, to carry into the control room.

 

“Last chance, Nora. Quiet down.”

 

She walked up to him and shoved his chest, hard. “Or what?”

 

Arthur grabbed her arm and leaned down into her space, until he was almost nose to nose with her. “Or we’ll be forced to have this discussion in a more private place.”

 

“Fuck you-“

 

Enough.

 

Arthur pulled her to his quarters, ignoring the looks anyone foolish enough to notice gave him. He shut and locked the door behind him, releasing her so she could pace.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because it is unwise to let you go. You’re too important to the mission to risk. What if it doesn’t work? What if you are vaporized on the spot?”

 

Nora walked up and shoved him again. “This is my plan, and I get to go. Your mission can fuck itself and so can you!”

 

Arthur yanked her against him then, one hand in her hair, the other on the small of her back, pulling her until she was flush against him, until every curve of her was pressed against him. “I won’t lose you, Nora. Even if you’re with Hancock, even if you aren’t mine, I know you’re still out there. You will not die in some damned stupid science experiment. It won’t happen, Nora, not on my watch, not if I can help it. You mean too much to me.”

 

She froze, and he realized, had he ever really said that? Had he ever admitted anything like that to her? He’d danced around it, telling her half-truths, but there it was. He needed her. Even if they weren’t together, even if she was never his, he needed her in his life in some way.

 

Once he started, he couldn’t stop talking. “I love you, okay? I love you, and I can’t watch you walk through that thing when we don’t know if it works. I can’t stand there and watch you potentially die. I won’t allow it. Now, calm down.”

 

Her eyes narrowed at the command, at the snap in his tone, but he couldn’t miss the flush of her cheeks, the way her breath quickened. “Or what?”

 

Just what he wanted to hear, that breathless way she stood up against him even while she begged him to have her. So how he felt didn’t matter, and he knew that, but this? This they could do, and this would have to be enough.

 

He leaned in, voice dropping low. “Or I’ll have to help you burn off some energy again.”

 

She crossed the distance between their lips, pulling against the grip he had on her hair to smash her lips against his in a rough kiss before biting down on his lip.

 

Arthur yanked back, tongue touching the blood on his lip. “Oh, I missed you, Nora. Do you want to leave? Think carefully about it. I’ll let you go, let you walk out of here, because If you stay, we both know exactly what will happen. Is this what you want?”

 

It was hard to hold still as he asked. When she'd been panicking and shaking he'd wanted to care for her. Now that she was hissing and spitting again? Now he wanted to break her a little, and the flash of her eyes? It said she wanted him to try.

 

So, yes, they were bad for each other, but right then? Right then he needed that, and he suspected she did to. 

 

Nora turned her back on him and pulled her shirt up and over her head. “You talk more than you used to. Are you getting soft on me, Arthur?”

 

His eyes narrowed as he followed her, ready to show her how wrong she was.

 

Damn. He’d missed her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smut next chapter, I promise!! Filthy, wonderful smut.


	21. Chapter 21

 

Nora should be scared. The way Arthur prowled behind her, the set of his shoulders, she should at least be nervous.

 

Not because he’d force her, or he’d do more than she wanted, but because he made her want things she’d written off, made her crave things she didn’t know if she could get from anyone else. He reminded her that she hadn't forgotten about him, that she didn't think she ever could. 

 

Things with John were wonderful, but whatever was between Arthur and her was different, and raw, and terrifying. He managed to make her feel like she was drowning.

 

But right then? With how angry she was? With how much she'd missed him, even if she swore she wouldn't, she couldn’t make herself be afraid.

 

She shimmied out of her pants, tossing them to a corner where her top already was.

 

Arthur’s hand closed in her hair, pulling her back so she leaned against his chest. He tilted her head so he could capture her lips in a rough kiss. There was no way to miss the erection that pushed against her lower back, the one his clothing did nothing to hide.

 

His free hand spanned her throat, not gripping or cutting off her air, just holding her as he broke the kiss. “I’ve thought about you every night. Even though I knew you were with him, I dreamed about you.” His teeth closed around her earlobe, pulling a moan from her. “Did you think about me at all?”

 

She should say no. She should remind him that she was with John, that this was nothing more than a fling, but she refused to lie. “Yes,” she whispered back.

 

He released her and walked over to his desk. “Strip,” he said without facing her, the snap in his voice letting her know he meant it.

 

Nora removed her bra and underwear, freezing when Arthur turned back toward her with a length of rope and two leather cuffs. “What is that for?”

 

He held it up. “For you. Do you have a problem with being tied up?”

 

“I don’t know. I’ve never done that.”

 

He shifted the items into a single hand, then walked up to her and grasped her chin with his other hand. “How does the idea make you feel? Think about it. You bound, at my mercy, still for whatever I want to do to you.”

 

She couldn’t stop the soft moan that fell from her lips.

 

He smiled. “Well, that seems to answer it. If you don’t like it, if it makes you feel trapped, tell me. We’ll stop and I will let you go immediately. Due to your reaction to the power armor, I won’t bind you tightly. Just your hands above your head.” His gaze dropped down, a slow perusal. “If you do well, we’ll do more next time. I think I’d like to tie you down, legs spread. You’d pull against the ropes so nicely, because you aren't the type to stay still. I bet they'd leave lovely rope burns.”

 

A shiver ran through Nora as he held his hand out for hers, waiting for her to decide.

 

Nora put her hand into his. Would she always do that?

 

Arthur smiled, like it surprised him, then hooked the leather cuffs around her wrists. They buckled closed. “Open your hand, then draw it into a fist. Good. Too tight? Good.” He tied the rope through the silver ring of once cuff tossed the rope up, over the metal beam in the ceiling. His fingers brushed her skin as he strung the rope through the other.

 

Nora’s arms went in front of her, then above her. He didn’t pull it tight enough that she had to go to her toes, only tight enough that she couldn’t drop her arms. It didn’t pull at her shoulders, or force her to balance, only kept her from knocking his hands away.

 

Which was her first reaction when, after tying the rope securely, he cupped her breast in his warm palm. She jerked, but there was nowhere to go.

 

Her eyes went wide at the realization, at the way his thumb brushed over her nipple, then closed his fingers around it, gaze on her, measuring her reactions. She struggled once more, only because she couldn’t not struggle.

 

He used his free hand to grasp the back of her neck, and she stared up into his eyes. “Do you need to stop?”

 

Nora took a deep breath, then shook her head. “No. No, I’m okay.”

 

He released her breast, and slid his fingers between her legs. When he lifted his hand, the wetness caught the light. “I think you’re a little better than okay. I thought you might like this.” He rubbed the fingers against her bottom lip until she snaked her tongue out to clean them. His smile said he approved. “You see, you like to fight this. You like to try and stay in control, even though that isn’t what you want. But when I do this, when I take away any control you have, well, you can see the result.”

 

Arthur walked behind her, sliding the hand from her neck over her front, then side. He traced it along her spine, the action making her shudder. He set both hands on her hips, squeezing tight enough she winced, then whimpered. “I missed that sound. You make the best sounds, Nora. I missed the whimpers when I go too hard, the gasps when you realize how damned good something feels, and that moan when I fuck you.”

 

He slid a hand from her hip forward, pressing his chest against her back, still wearing his jumpsuit, and slid two fingers into her.

 

Nora jerked away, but there was no to go. She moved her hands so she could grasp the rope, having something to hold on to, but Arthur didn’t stop. He reached with his other hand to grasp her thigh, lift it up and out to the side, to spread her open, while he fingered her. He didn’t start off slowly, didn’t work her into it. “I want you to say my name when you come, Nora. Every damned time I make you come tonight, I need to hear my name. Do you understand me?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

He bit down on the side of her neck. “Not sir, not tonight. My name, Nora.”

 

Nora arched her back at the sting in her neck, the mark she knew would remain, the one high enough even her vault suit wouldn’t hide. “Yes, Arthur.”

 

He pressed his forehead against her shoulder for a moment then kissed the mark, his fingers never stopping, never stilling. He didn’t play her as if they had all night, no leisurely playing, he just did exactly what it would take to make her come as fast as possible.

 

And before long, she was at that edge. He dug his fingers into her thigh, hard enough it would bruise, then closed his fingers around her clit in a pinch. Nora came on a gasp, his name sliding from her lips. She sagged down, the ropes helping to keep her upright.

 

She expected him to untie her, to help her to the bed so he could fuck her.

 

Instead, he moved around and dropped to his knees in front of her. He lifted her other leg, slinging it over his shoulder, then used his other hand to spread her cunt and pull back the hood of her clit. His mouth was on her seconds later.

 

Nora pulled backward, but between the ropes and the way he pinned her leg to his shoulder, she had no leverage. All she could do was move her hips, but that only seemed as if she rode him. It didn’t even spur him on, since he seemed to have no mind to stop. He didn’t even notice her struggles.

 

It only took another moment before a broken curse left her lips along with his name -though she wasn’t sure telling him to fuck himself counted in his rule- as she came again.

 

He pressed a kiss to her lower stomach, then up to her navel. She trembled, and when his fingers brushed her clit she gasped and pulled away in vain again.

 

“I like you like this. Totally at my mercy. No more running away from me, no more fighting me, no more leaving me. Even if it’s just for tonight, I like you like this.” He kissed her hip, over the bone, then bit down.

 

Nora’s head fell back at the sharp pain, then at the way his tongue lavished attention on it.

 

“I like marking you, too. Some time I want to take my belt and leave welts on your ass. I want to watch you try to sit for the next two days afterward, the way you’ll wince, but how you won’t be able to tell anyone why.”

 

He continued to move up her body, brushing her clit now and then, causing her to pull back from the touch, while he offered bites along her body. Each bite had her whimpering and squirming, whether toward him or away she didn’t even know anymore.

 

Once he was back on his feet in front of her, he caught her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. “I wasn’t kidding, Nora. I love you. I want to do this right. I’m never going to be Hancock. I won’t ever be a sweet man, not like he is. I’m never going to be charming and funny and easy going like he is. That isn’t me. If that’s what you want, what you really need, I know I can’t give it to you, I can’t make you happy.”

 

He stroked her clit again, not the brush he’d been doing but a full touch that had her squirming. “But I can get better. I’m willing to try, to learn, to keep working at it. I want you with me, by my side, all the time. Not hiding, not pretending there is nothing between us. I don’t care what the Brotherhood thinks, I don’t care what the Citadel thinks, or what the West Coast Elders think. I know what I want, Nora, and it’s you. Come on, I want to hear you call out this time.”

 

“I can’t. I can’t come again.” Nora bucked her hips backward, to avoid his fingers, but his other hand grasped her hip to keep her close.

 

“You can. I’m going to make you come over and over again. I want you to remember this. Even if you leave me again, if you go back to him, I want you to remember this. I want to do this until you’re begging me to stop, until your cheeks are red, and, hell, I want to see tears.”

 

Arthur leaned in and kissed her while he stroked her clit, one finger on each side of it. She didn’t kiss back, didn’t participate. She couldn’t. His touch bordered on painful, each brush of his fingers causing her to twitch.

 

But true to his word, she came again, back bowing, his name just a whisper between his lips and hers.

 

Arthur reached up and untied the rope connected to her cuffs, leaving the rope in place as he lifted her and moved her onto the bed.

 

Nora trembled, even her thighs brushing each other too much. He stripped down, then crawled over her, pushing her thighs apart so he could settle between them.

 

His cock brushed her clit and she shoved at his shoulders, gasping. “Oh, Nora, do have any idea how good that sounds?” He pulled his hips back and repeated the motion, the tip of his cock wet, letting it glide against her.

 

“I can’t do this. It’s too much.”

 

Arthur pulled back, but he didn’t touch her again, not until his hand set on her cheek. “Hey, look at me. Better. Take a deep breath. Do you need to stop?”

 

Nora thought about it. She was so tired, over-sensitive, pushed past any limit she’d expected to have, but when she looked at him, she trusted him.

 

He wouldn’t go further than she could take. He’d stopped, checked in, made sure she could handle it. 

 

She trusted him, even if part of her still worried she shouldn’t, she’d always trusted him.

 

Nora shook her head. “No, Arthur.”

 

He pushed his hips forward, but this time he slid into her instead. She was tight, her body still trembling from the times she’d come, still tightening down in waves, fighting against him. Still, he was fully seated in a matter of moments.

 

When his pelvis brushed her clit she lifted her hips, nails digging into his shoulders.

 

“It feels so good when you tighten like that around me. One of these times I’ll just stay inside you like this and make you come around my cock, over and over again.”

 

Nora knew she’d buried her nails into his back, but if he noticed, he didn’t care. With each thrust, he’d rub against her clit, drawing her neared to another. . . something. She didn’t think she could come again, and knew that if she did, it wasn’t going to be pleasant. It had stopped being pleasant after the second. Now it was just overwhelming, just too much, but she still wanted it, wanted him, wanted whatever this was to never end. 

 

Arthur lifted one leg of hers and wrapped it around his hip to change the angle, to slide deeper. “I want one more from you, Nora. Just one. Can you do that for me?”

 

She shook her head.

 

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I think you can, but it’s up to you. I won’t force this one. You have to do it yourself.” His hips snapped forward, and Nora cried out.

 

She was close, so damned close. It wouldn’t take much to send her over, and from the way he moved, he was close, too.

 

She trembled as she reached between them, fingers sliding through the wetness between her legs, both sweat and her own desire. She rubbed over her clit, the touch feather light but still too much.

 

“Good girl,” he whispered, breathing hard, but the words went straight to her cunt. He laughed. “You like that praise, don’t you? Well you are doing so good. You’re taking everything I can give you, taking it so well. It’s one of the things I love about you, that you’re so damned responsive to what I do. And look at you, stroking yourself, just because you know I want you to. So damned good.”

 

His words sunk into her, and her cunt seized around him as she came again. He twitched inside of her as he filled her, but she could only think about trying to pull air in, about the sweat that rolled off her forehead as she panted.

 

His hips moved forward, a tiny thrust she doubted he even meant, but it was far too much. She tried to squirm away, the thrust causing another wave to hit her.

 

“Easy, Nora.” He tried to soothe her as he pulled out, the action dragging him along her already over sensitive walls. Only once he’d pulled out could she breathe again, snapping her legs shut.

 

He slid beside her, then ran his finger along her cheek. Tears? He kissed them. “You did so well, Nora. Come here, just relax.” He moved her so her back was against his chest and rubbed his hand over her hip, her side. He pressed mindless kisses to her throat, to her shoulder, to anywhere he could reach.

 

It took her a while to relax, to even out her breathing, to ease enough that every little touch didn’t cause another tremble. Once she’d come down from whatever high had happened enough to remember everything else, like John, like the Institute, she tensed.

 

“We’ll worry about it tomorrow,” Arthur whispered. “Let me have tonight, just like this. I don’t want to fight with you, I don’t want to argue. I just want this.”

 

Nora released a soft breath, and let whatever she’d planned to say drift away.

 

They could fight about it tomorrow. Fuck knew they always had something to fight about tomorrow.

 

#

 

Arthur took a deep breath and tried to ignore the looks. He was Elder. He was in charge. He could eat where he damned well pleased.

 

He’d woken to Nora gone, having slid out with that sneaky streak he found more attractive than he ought to. She was having breakfast, he was sure of it. He was even more sure when he spotted the food on his table she must have gotten for him.

 

She expected him to hide away in his quarters and eat, as he always did, as he always had.

 

But he’d promised things could be different. It was one thing to have sex with her, it was another to prove that he could be more, that they could be more.

 

He set the tray of food down on the table across from Nora, then sat.

 

“Sir?” Her voice came out unsure.

 

“Arthur,” he said, voice soft.

 

“Arthur.” The name dropped off her lips clumsy, like it was difficult to get out in the company of others. “What are you doing.”

 

“I’m having breakfast with you.” He hesitated then. Maybe he’d read her wrong. Maybe she was the one who didn’t want anyone to know about them.

 

Perhaps he was making a fool of her here.

 

“I can leave if you want me to.” His voice came out low, just for her. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I just thought, perhaps, we could share a meal. Sorry-” He curved his fingers around his tray and went to rise.

 

Nora reached out and set her hand over his. “Stay, please.”

 

Arthur stared at where she touched him, and the rest of the damned Prydwen drifted away. The other soldiers, the eyes, the questions, none of it existed beyond Nora and he eating together. He nodded, then sat back down.

 

Maybe things could change. At least, they could change for breakfast.

 


	22. Chapter 22

Nora set her hands on her hips as she stared up at the finished transporter. Fuck, how had they managed this?

 

“It’s amazing,” Arthur said, beside her, his hands folded behind his back.

 

“To think it all started with the scribbles of a super mutant.” She frowned. “When I say it like that, I wonder if this is my best or worst idea.”

 

He chuckled, sending her a side-long glance. “I’m not so sure they are not the same thing. Ingram says she is making the final changes and it will be ready tomorrow.”

 

It had been two days since they’d had sex, since they’d eaten breakfast together. Neither had mentioned that, had spoken about the things they’d said.

 

Arthur had acted differently, a level of detachment gone, replaced with at least fondness when in public. They didn’t hold hands, didn’t kiss, but she called him Arthur and he smiled. Those were new, and they had not gone unnoticed by others. She’d caught the stares, the glaring, the suspicion.

 

Of course, they all thought she’d slept her way up the ranks. Most of the Brotherhood hated the new recruits, the Commonwealth trash they didn’t think should be in their ranks. The idea that one might be sleeping with their precious Maxson, paired with her quick promotion through the ranks, had left an impression that wasn’t flattering.

 

If Arthur noticed, he’d said nothing.

 

“Have dinner with me.”

 

Nora frowned. “We eat most meals together.”

 

“I mean a real dinner, a date. We will dress up and have a date.”

 

“We tried that. You fingered me in public.”

 

He laughed, the smile on his face saying he wasn’t sorry for it. “So it turned out well for you. I’d think you’d be quick to repeat it.”

 

“I don’t even own a dress. That red monstrosity was John’s, not mine.”

 

“You own one now. I had it hung in your quarters already. I thought we’d have drinks in the rec area. My understanding is that other soldiers will be there as well. After that, we’ll come back to my quarters for dinner. Does that sound acceptable?”

 

Nora rubbed her hands against her legs. “Are you sure? Everyone would know. . .”

 

“Would know what? I told you, I am not trying to keep you a secret. They will adjust. You can turn me down, but do so because you want to, not because you are trying to protect me.”

 

Nora pulled in a breath before nodding. “Okay.”

 

He smiled. “Perfect. I’ll meet you in the rec area tonight?”

 

“Right. Sure.”

 

Arthur leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek before walking off, leaving Nora watching him.

 

Things were strange. What was this? It was a date, and that was more than just sex. It was more than just some pent-up tension.

 

Where did that leave her and John? Her and Arthur?

 

For the first time, Nora didn’t know.

 

All she knew was that when the man you loved asked to take you on a date, you say yes.

 

#

 

Arthur held the beer in his hand, his weight shifting from foot to foot as he waiting for Nora to show.

 

Was she going to back out? Maybe she would decide that an actual date with him was too far, that he wasn’t what she wanted.

 

He wasn’t Hancock. He couldn’t float through the people, charming them and making conversation. These people were his people, his men, and he still found casual conversation difficult.

 

But, Nora deserved a partner. She deserved someone who could stand by her side, and he had to show her he could be that person.

 

He lifted his beer bottle for another drink when she walked in.

 

Fuck.

 

The dress he’d picked out fit her, tight and dipping low in the front for more than a respectable amount of cleavage. Hell, if he’d realized it would fit her like that, he’d never have put her in it in front of Brotherhood soldiers. At the Third Rail? Sure. Not in front of men and women who needed to respect her, though.

 

She walked, the split on the side of the dress showing off her thigh with ever step.

 

Something wet and cold struck his chest, and he cursed, pulling the beer bottle away. Great first impression.

 

Nora grinned, telling him she’d caught that slip up. “Hey, Arthur.”

 

“Hello, Nora. I’d ask if the dress fits, but it seems pretty clear it does.”

 

“I’d ask if you like it, but it seems clear you do.” She set her fingers on the wet stain on his shirt, a smirk on her lips.

 

Arthur reached out with his free hand and grabbed her hair, which she had pulled back into a pony tail. He yanked on it once, forcing her to look at up at him. “Don’t get cute, Knight.” He growled out the title, rewarded with a sharp intake of breath.

 

Sure, he was expecting Kells to yell at him soon. Between their meals together and the small shows of affection in public, word of their relationship was not going to go ignored for long. Soon, Kells would explain to him his expectations. He would remind Arthur of his obligations to continue his line, to create heirs. Hell, he might go to Nora and speak to her about it.

 

And good luck to Kells if he tried that, because Nora would hand him his ass for it.

 

Nora went to tuck her hair behind her ear when he released her, a blush over her cheeks, before she seemed to have remembered she’d put it up.

 

He liked when she looked flustered, when he took apart that self-control. Perhaps it was because he knew the sort of soldier she was, because he knew how easily she could focus and keep her attention on the task at hand. When he could derail that, whether by force or seduction, he considered it a hard-fought win.

 

Arthur turned and poured a drink, a glass of whiskey, before handing to her. Their fingers brushed as she took the glass, mumbling a thank you.

 

“We were pinned down, ferals on one side, muties on the other!” The drunken voice from behind them told the tale, yelling most of it, glass lifted up. “I was sure we were done for. But then the vaultie comes rushing in, carrying a mini-gun, with a dog as back up. A dog!”

 

Arthur chuckled, catching Nora’s grin. He’d heard enough of her exploits to know this one was true.

 

“You’re lying. No woman could even carry a mini-gun let along take on super mutants.” The knight who answered crossed his arms over his chest.

 

It was the same knight Nora had nearly gotten into a fight with when he’d insulted her before.

 

Nora walked over and elbowed the soldier who had been telling the story. “That was nothing. Ask Danse the next time he’s up here about when we killed Swan, that behemoth in the Commons.”

 

“That was you?”

 

Arthur walked up to stand beside Nora. “It was. We both know Paladin Danse would never lie or embellish a story, and I heard this one from him directly.”

 

“How did _you_ kill a behemoth?” The knight’s tone suggested more than disbelief, and it took Arthur’s considerable control to keep his temper in check.

 

“Well, it certainly couldn’t have been with a fatman. As I recall, you were a virgin before you got a hold of mine.” Gavil walked up, beer in his hand and unease on his face. Still, a smile and a cheerful tone hide that from anyone who didn’t know what to look for.

 

Nora returned the smile, no less tense. “Nope. Missile launcher did the trick. Easy, except when he threw the bus at us.”

 

The knight rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t you just try to sleep with him? It seems to work for you with everyone else.”

 

Nora’s shoulders pulled back, eyes narrowing. “Excuse me?”

 

“Like it isn’t obvious how you got your rank. Danse let you in, and he doesn’t like anyone. Then you screw around with Gavil, and now the Elder? Too bad I don’t have a slit between my legs. Might have made Paladin by now.”

 

Arthur went to respond, but Nora kicked him in the shins, a soft request for him to let her handle it.

 

“You might have made Paladin if you spent as much time learning to fight as you have thinking about what’s between my legs. Who I fuck is none of your business, and the only thing you need to know about it, is that it won’t ever be you.”

 

The knight went to open his mouth, and Arthur had had more than enough. “I suggest you choose your words very carefully, soldier. Knight Jacobs has proven herself, time and time again. She has attempted and succeeded in more ops than you have even considered and has more than earned respect, if not by her position as a sister, bound to you by steel, then by her record.”

 

“Sir-“

 

“-Elder. Elder Arthur Maxson, in case you’re finding that challenging to remember. And because rank and missions seems to be a point of contention here, when were you tasked with minding my personal life?”

 

“I wasn’t, but she is making a fool of us all. She’s using you and your position, probably hoping for a cushy life as Mrs. Maxson-“

 

“-enough!” Arthur’s voice rose, barking out the order. “I gave you more than enough chances to stop this foolishness. You disrespected your fellow soldier, and then you disrespected me.” He tuned his gaze to Gavil. “You have need of a soldier, I trust?”

 

Gavil nodded. “Yes. We’re still clearing out the ghoul bodies from the lower areas of the airport.”

 

“Perfect. Knight, you will go, now, down to the airport. Tomorrow, report in with Sergeant Gavil, and perhaps after a few weeks of such work, you’ll gain a new appreciation for the proper behavior of a Brotherhood soldier.”

 

The knight wanted to argue. It was written all over his face, in the set of his shoulders and the fisting of his hands. He nodded, however. “Yes, Elder,” was shoved out between gritted teeth, before he turned and stormed from the room.

 

Gavil huffed a soft laugh.

 

“I fail to find this funny.” Arthur took a sip of his own drink, mostly so he had something to do.

 

“That’s because you are not seeing it from the outside. Whatever this is,” Gavil waved his hands between them, “is something you’ve tried to keep hidden. Hidden things are more interesting and dangerous. I’d suggest you decide what you want, because neither of you live lives that afford you the luxury casual flings. Decide that this is important and serious, or let it go.” Gavil nodded. “I think I’ve had my share of fun for tonight. Enjoy your date.”

 

They both watched him walk off, the slight distance between them seeming so much larger.

 

Nora clutched her drink in her hands, then turned to face Arthur. “Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe Gavil’s right, and we need to figure out what we’re doing. I’m putting you in a difficult place, and maybe-“

 

He reached out and grasped the back of her neck, pulling her forward and into a kiss, in the middle of the rec room, in front of everyone. He set his other hand on her hip, pressing her against him as he took her mouth in a kiss.

 

She returned the kiss just as fervently, her tongue slipping past his lips, hands tangling in shirt, then going to his shoulders.

 

He broke the kiss after a moment, when neither could seem to catch their breaths. “I already know what I want, Nora. I’m not confused, I don’t need time to decide or think. I want you.”

 

She went to push at his chest, face uncertain, like she didn’t believe him.

 

He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her neck, before whispering. “You don’t believe me? I can’t blame you. Let me show you, please?”

 

Her teeth dug into her bottom lip, but it was the short, quick nod of her head that had him grasping her hand and all but pulling back toward his quarters.

 

#

 

Nora gasped when Arthur kicked shut the door to his quarters, hands already working at stripping her. The need in those eyes was obvious, and his words still swirled in her head.

 

He was giving her everything. Everything she could want, everything she’d asked for.

 

What did that mean?

 

The questions washed away when Arthur guided her down onto the bed, mouth against hers.

 

Her hands went to his outfit, working him out of the clothing, as frantic as he was. Once they were both stripped, Arthur pressed his fingers against her cunt.

 

“Please, sir,” she asked, voice strained.

 

He slid his fingers into her. “Not sir. Call me Arthur, please. I just want this to be us tonight. Not games, not anything else. Let me show you this is real.”

 

She wrapped an arm around his shoulder to pull him closer, moaning his name as he readied her with his fingers. “Don’t make me wait, Arthur.”

 

“Never.” He fit his cock against her, pausing for a moment. “I was serious, Nora. I want you. I’m done running, done pretending this is nothing. I’m ready for it, for all of it.” He pressed into her, filling her.

 

Nora moved with him, hands roaming over him, lost in the feeling of his body on top of hers. She didn’t think about the relay, about tomorrow, about John. She didn’t think beyond how Arthur felt giving her everything, giving her all of him.

 

Hours later, they laid in the bed, blanket kicked off, forgotten. Nora’s head laid on Arthur’s chest, his arm around her, and neither spoke.

 

“Let me go tomorrow,” she asked into the darkness.

 

“I can’t, Nora. I promise, I will allow you to go as soon as the relay proves successful. I will not risk you for anything before then.”

 

She sighed, expecting nothing else. She wrapped an arm around him and closed her eyes.

 

She would deal with it tomorrow.

 

#

 

Arthur stood beside Nora as Ingram went over the final checks of the relay. Gavil would be going, since he was the best option.

 

A petty part of Arthur thought that, should the relay fail, at least he didn’t have to worry about Gavil lusting after Nora anymore.

 

“I’m going to go make sure Ingram has the right load order for this.”

 

Arthur caught Nora’s hand before she walked away. “Relax, Nora. This will work, I promise. We have been over everything.”

 

She forced a smile but nodded.

 

She’d been on edge all morning, barely speaking to him, barely touching him. She must be worried about it working. They hadn’t gotten this close to her son before, so close to everything she’d wanted.

 

He wished he could take her in his arms and kiss her head, to tell her it would be okay, but he knew that wouldn’t be welcomed. When working, they needed to stay professional. After the night before, they had to be careful. Not to hide it, but to make sure no one reason to question either of their commitment or abilities. 

 

She squeezed his hand back. “I know. I’m just nervous. I need to do something to help.”

 

“Sure. Go on, Nora.”

 

She walked over to the terminal, speaking with Ingram and pointing between the screen and the machine. Even when the machine swirled to life, when Gavil stood in the center, Nora stayed there.

 

“We’re starting the initial process, now. After the light comes on, Gavil, do not move,” Ingram said

 

“Understood,” Gavil answered.

 

Nora threw herself across the short distance to the transporter, knocking Gavil from his spot in the machine a moment before the light flashed.

 

“Nora!” Arthur ran for Ingram, for Nora, but Ingram raised her hand to stop him.

 

“You can’t touch her, Elder. The machine is already on. There isn’t any stopping the loading, and if you interrupt this before it finishes? It could kill her.”

 

He looked at Nora, the light bathing her, and he tried to memorize every damned detail. “You are in so much trouble, Nora.”

 

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. “Punish me when I get back.”

 

“Just make sure you come back.” His voice cracked on the last word. 

 

A blue light flashed, bright enough he had to cover his eyes. When he looked back, nothing but smoke remained.

 

Nora was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long :) Kinktober, you know. 
> 
> For those waiting, Hancock will be back in the next chapter!


	23. Chapter 23

 

Arthur waved off the guards when Hancock boarded the Prydwen. They all appeared jumpy, and he could hardly blame them. Having a ghoul aboard the Prydwen was an uncommon occurrence.

 

One who dressed and acted like Hancock was downright unique.

 

Instead of discussing anything in public, Arthur nodded at Hancock before turning. The surprisingly heavy steps of the ghoul said he followed.

 

Hancock shut the door, closing them inside of Arthur's quarters. “She alive?”

 

Arthur turned, leaning against the desk. “I don’t know, honestly. It’s been two days and there has been no word. I tried to not allow her to go. You should know that.”

 

Hancock laughed before he pulled a chair from the table and twisted it until he sat in it, backward, arms over the backrest. “If there’s one constant, more than fucking chems, or shitty people, or the arrogance of Brotherhood soldiers, it’s that our girl does whatever she wants. Ain’t no stopping her. If you thought for a single minute that she was going let someone else go after her son? Well, you’re either stupid or lying to yourself. She was always going to be the one to go.”

 

“Last time I checked, she wasn’t our girl. She was yours.”

 

“She’ll always be ours. Doesn’t matter what happens, who she settles down with, we’ll always share a part of her. Don’t look at me like that, like you don’t know it. We can fight all we want, but Nora? She’s always gonna be there till one of us dies.”

 

“Have you ever considered trying to make whatever this is more permanent?”

 

“Don’t sugar coat shit. Out with it.”

 

Arthur tried not to let his annoyance with the ghoul show on his face, though he’d bet Hancock knew it. “If Nora will always be pulled between us, have you considered we stop pulling? She’s never going to settle down, and anytime she gets around either of us, I suspect she’ll fall back into old habits. What if we stop trying to get her to choose.”

 

“You ain’t the sharing type, soldier boy.”

 

Time to just be honest. “No, I’m not. However, I am aware that you are good for her, and she matters more to me than anything else. So, we can stop acting like children with a toy or risk us both losing her.”

 

Hancock pulled his blade and started playing with it, something Arthur had realized he did when nervous. So, it seemed the mayor wasn’t as nonchalant as he tried to pretend.

 

“Well, I guess we’ll see how that goes, won’t we?”

 

#

 

John was going crazy. Two fucking days being trapped in these fuckwit’s airship with nothing to do. He got himself high to pass the time, drank when he could, swindled the few who dared to play cards with him.

 

Nothing helped him relax.

 

Where the fuck was Nora?

 

What would he do if she just never came back? Losing her would hurt, but what if the transporter didn’t work? What if he just never found out what happened to her?

 

He returned to pacing the flight deck as if that could burn off the excess energy coursing through him. Vertibirds landed and left, a never-ending cycle of comings and goings that only made him tenser.

 

Finally, a face he recognized. Tin can hopped from the vertibird, metal groaning as he gained his footing.

 

“Hey, crewcut. Any word?”

 

Danse’s lips pressed together, a look that said he was worried about his past if a ghoul talked to him so friendly. “I am going to deliver the information to Elder Maxson.”

 

John held in any comments, not wanting to risk being ejected before he got the information. Pretty clear the Paladin knew something, what with the way his normally stern face was even more twisted.

 

Once all three were in Arthur’s quarters, Danse spoke.

 

“She’s alive. I’ve received word from an acquaintance of hers that she was seen two days ago in Sanctuary Hills.”

 

“Are the reports trustworthy?”

 

“Preston Garvey told me.”

 

John nodded. “Preston’s as solid as they come. He says he saw her? He fucking saw her. I don’t think that man could lie if his life depended on it. Where’d she go from there? Why ain’t she made contact?”

 

Danse kept his gaze on Arthur like he could ignore John out of existence. “Garvey said she was upset, though she didn’t say why. She stopped in for supplies and took off. No one has seen her since.”

 

“Do you have any idea where she could be? You’ve traveled with her before, Danse. Do you have any idea?” Arthur asked.

 

“No. We worked together, that was all. According to Garvey, she has not returned to any minuteman controlled settlement.”

 

Arthur rubbed his fingers against his eyes, and damn, the man hadn’t slept in days if those dark circles under his eyes said shit. “Thank you, Paladin. If you hear anything else, please inform me immediately.”

 

Once alone, Arthur’s shoulders sagged as if he couldn’t keep up the strong front anymore. “You know her better than I do, at least you know her life outside of the brotherhood better than I do. Where would she go?”

 

John tapped his fingers on the table. “If she got bad news, if she found out her kid was dead? There’s one place I know of that she could have gone.”

 

Arthur nodded. “Let’s go get our girl, then.”

 

#

 

Nora hadn’t eaten in two days. The cold metal soaked into her skin, or maybe she was cold because of the lack of food.

 

How could Shaun be an old man?

 

It hit her again, the chems swarming her and taking the edge off. When she’d left the Institute, she’d headed here, to the only place she could think of.

 

She should have gone back to Arthur, to John, to somewhere. It just hurt too fucking bad, so she’d drowned it all beneath a bagful of chems.

 

Hell, John would be downright giddy over what she’d managed to inhale, ingest, and inject into her body. He’d make some joke, pull her into his arms, and kiss the top of her head.

 

Arthur would be annoyed. He’d cock that eyebrow up and call her knight and remind her of her father when he was disappointed in her. He’d plan with her, get her to clear her head and figure out what to do next.

 

But right then? Right then she didn’t want a next. She wanted to just stop.

 

She’d done all this shit to find a child who didn’t exist anymore. Sure, Shaun was there, her flesh and blood, but he wasn’t a child anymore, not her child. She had no options, to chance to raise him, to keep him safe, to do what mothers are supposed to do.

 

So, what was the point of any of it?

 

“Oh, sunshine,” came the rasp she knew so well.

 

She covered her face with her hands. She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t admit to any of the shit that had happened.

 

Hell, she didn’t even deserve him.

 

A soft clicking of his tongue and a set of arms wrapped around her, pulling her against a chest too wide to be Hancock’s.

 

Nora twisted her face to breathe in Arthur. The leather of his battlecoat helped some part of her. It grounded her, reminded her she had something.

 

Seeing Shaun had reminded her of everything she’d lost, with him being the last link to that. Arthur was her new life, something she wasn’t going to lose. It helped.

 

#

 

John grabbed some water from Nora’s kitchen as Arthur settled her in her bed. The girl was fucking baked, and not in a fun way, not in the way that’d have him laughing.

 

No, she was heartbroken. She’d been curled up on the ground of the fucking vault, beside the frozen body of her husband, empty chems all around her.

 

He swiped his arm over the counter, sending all the shit on it tumbling to the floor. A glass broke and scrap metal skirted across the floor.

 

Someone should have been there with her. 

 

And now he had to walk into that room and be John Hancock. He had to be charming and funny and strong. He had to pretend he hadn’t seen the way she’d curled up to his chest, pretend he was just fine with that.

 

He needed to be the one to keep Arthur from being an asshole and keep Nora from falling any deeper into this pit she’d found herself in.

 

He took a deep breath before taking the water and a thing of addictol for her.

 

Inside the room, Arthur was stripping Nora down.

 

She didn’t help, and she didn’t fight as he pulled her shirt off over her head.

 

Arthur turned toward John, face blank. “The clothing is filthy. I think she threw up on the shirt.”

 

“Won’t hear a word from me when it comes to getting her naked.” He pulled his lips into a smirk as Arthur undid her pants and pulled them off.

 

He took everything off her, and when the underwear and bra landed on the floor, Hancock couldn’t blame him. Poor girl was filthy. What the fuck had happened?

 

“She could use a quick cleaning. I’ll get the items.” Arthur stood.

 

“Sure, brother. Closet at the end of the hall has rags and bowls, water in the kitchen.”

 

Arthur left the room so only Nora and John remained.

 

“Hey there, sunshine. You trying to one-up me on the chems?”

 

She turned toward him, face empty. Not sad, so fucking far beyond sad, like she’d been emptied out. “He’s gone, John.”

 

“Gone?”

 

She reached out, fingers clutching his shirt. “Shaun. He isn’t a baby anymore. He’s an old man, and I missed his entire life. Every birthday, every laugh, every tear, I missed it all.” She broke down as she spoke, the words melting into sobbing as she told the story.

 

John wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. He ran his fingers through her hair, pressing kisses to her head.

 

Fuck. That was worse than if the kid was dead. Dead could be buried and moved on from. How did you fucking bury someone still alive?

 

And he was running the damned Institute? The thing they were all working at taking down? Where the hell did that leave Nora? Where did it leave any of ‘em?

 

Her breathing hitched as her lungs did some stuttering shit.

 

Right. Chems.

 

“Here, sunshine. Let’s get you to have this.” He pressed the inhaler to her lips, and she breathed down the meds like a champ.

 

Arthur stood by the door, his eyebrows drawn together, telling John he’d heard the story. Would the fuckwit throw a fit right then?

 

Better not.

 

John would love to take his ass down a few pegs.

 

Instead, Arthur shook his head and sat on the bed. “Come on, Nora. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

 

He pulled her to her feet, and John stepped behind her in case she wasn’t steady. They worked quickly to wipe her down, nothing sexy about the job. The dirt on her was just proof of her bender, of how damned lost she was.

 

She didn’t break down, but tears ran down her cheeks.

 

After a few minutes, Arthur had done a good enough job that they settled her into the bed. Arthur stood there as if unsure if he was welcomed in the bed, as if he wasn’t sure what to do.

 

But John wasn’t having any of that bullshit. He shoved Arthur forward until the Elder removed his coat and crawled into the bed.

 

Nora curled against his side, clutching to him like she was starving.

 

Fuck.

 

Losing Nora was gonna kill him.

 

He turned to walk out, to make a bed on the couch, until Nora’s voice stopped him.

 

“Stay, John?”

 

“Bed would be a bit crowded, sunshine.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her head. "I'll crash on the couch. Don't you worry about me, huh? I'll see you in the morning." 

 

Before she could say anything else, John left the room. Arthur could handle this for the night, especially since it had been pretty clear that's where she wanted to be. She wanted John to stay, she loved him, he had no doubt about that. It just seemed clear she was never going to love him the way she loved Arthur. 

 

So John stretched out on the couch, mentats in his hand like a fucking consolation prize.

 

Love fucking sucked.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the lack of smut, but we needed to deal with Nora's trip to the Institute.


	24. Chapter 24

 

It took two days before Arthur put his foot down. Two days of Nora not eating, not talking, only drinking what John or he poured down her throat and getting out of bed only when required to by biological needs even she couldn’t ignore.

 

It was as if the life had drained from Nora. He’d heard her story, heard what happened. She’d done the impossible, made it to the institute, all to save a child who it turned out was the enemy.

 

A child who was an adult now, the life she couldn’t get back.

 

“Come on,” he said as he set out clothing for her. “It’s time for you to get out of the bed.”

 

Nora shook her head, curling in on herself. “I don’t want to.”

 

“I don’t believe I asked you what you wanted. I tried this your way, but I suspect if left to your own devices, you’d have laid on that vault floor until you used enough chems to stop your heart. I do not plan to give you that option.”

 

Nora moved then, rolling over and pushing herself up with one arm. Despite all the time she’d spent in bed, dark circles sat under her eyes. “What’s the point? I did all of this for Shaun and I can’t get him back! Why should I get up when the only thing that got me out of that vault in the first place was someone I failed?”

 

“You didn’t fail. You’ve done what no one else could have to reach him. There is nothing you could have done differently.” Even as he spoke, he knew the words didn’t really sink in. He was a man who understood words didn’t mean much. Action mattered. He took the clothing and knelt before her.

 

“You aren’t going to dress me.”

 

“I gave you the chance to do it yourself and you refused. You lost your choice in arguing.” He pulled the jeans up her legs and over her hips, buttoning them at her waist. The shirt he put on her was one of his, large and baggy enough she wouldn’t need a bra.

 

He wasn’t going to push his luck with trying to wrangle her into any more than required.

 

On her feet, he put heavy socks and her boots. You didn’t screw with feet, not with all the dangers of scrap metal.

 

He hoped some sunlight on her skin, perhaps some time with friends might be enough for her to perk up. She needed to remember that while it was just her son that got her into this world, she’d gathered more reasons to keep moving since then. She had friends now, a community, things to fight for other than the son she could no longer save. 

 

She didn’t lean into his side or touch him as they walked out. Her hand lifted to shield her eyes from the sun.

 

“Try this, sunshine.” John walked up, dark glasses in his hand that he slid over her eyes. “If anyone knows what a fucker the sun can be on sensitive eyes, it’s me. Better?”

 

Nora’s eyebrows inched together for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, thanks.”

 

“Anytime. Preston has food cooking over there, then I heard some cute young scribe is going to give you a physical. Can I help?”

 

Arthur couldn’t hold in the groan at the cheap joke, though the slight smile that crossed Nora’s lips made it tolerable.

 

John was a fuck-up, but he could make her laugh. Right then? That’s what she needed.

 

“Well, if there was a girl I’d let get me naked, it would be Haylen.”

 

John’s lips tipped up. “Haylen, is it? Well, that sounds promising. We can consider it your next lesson in debauchery.”

 

Arthur sighed loudly, mostly for effect. He’d never admit their banter charmed him. “Scribe Haylen will be here to give you a check-up. After your time in the Institute, the relay, and your massive chem intake, it’s best to have you examined. Haylen is nearby, at the police station, and since this isn’t an emergency it seemed the best choice.”

 

“Will she bring Rhys?” Nora’s distaste for the knight showed both in tone and the way her lip curled up at the name.

 

“Probably. She’s a scribe, not a fighter, and the road from there to here isn’t a safe one. I’ll play referee for you.”

 

“Referee?” John pulled his cigarette from his lips and pressed it between Nora’s so she could take a drag. “Fuck that, sunshine. I’ll stab him if he’s mean to you.”

 

Arthur shook his head. “Hancock, could you make sure she eats? I need to go check-in with Paladin Danse.”

 

“Sure thing, brother.” The endearment he threw around so often lacked the bite it normally did.

 

In fact, both men stopped for a moment, hesitating like they’d just realized that maybe they weren’t enemies anymore. Certainly not friends, but maybe not being enemies was good enough.

 

Arthur leaned in to kiss Nora’s cheek. “I’ll see you a bit later. Try to have some fun, hmm?”

 

She lifted her gaze, lips sliding into a small smirk, not the full-blown one he’d grown used to, but it was something. “Is that an order?”

 

“Do you want it to be?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

Nora jumped, and Arthur caught sight of John’s hand pulling back. Must have pinched her ass. Nora responded with an elbow to John’s side.

 

John only laughed before sliding an arm around her waist. “Let’s get ya fed up before you start thinking about that, hmm?” He pressed a kiss to her other cheek. “You’re gonna need some energy first, sister, because I’m pretty sure we can use it all up.”

 

Arthur watched them walk toward the house John had indicated, so he turned to find Danse.

 

Being away from the Prydwen yet again was less than ideal, and the constant complaints he received from Kells said so. Still, the ship ran fine in his absence, and Nora was their ticket into the Institute. She was their chance, their only chance at the moment.

 

It meant that, even with his Brotherhood obligations, he needed to be here.

 

And, yes, he would have been there even if she wasn’t vital to their plan. He’d be there because he couldn’t not be there.

 

Danse checked a turret near the bridge, his power armor sitting a few feet away. While power armor provided many benefits, it performed dreadfully for detailed work.

 

“Elder,” he acknowledged as he pulled his hands from the turret and nodded at Arthur.

 

“Paladin. Are there any new reports?”

 

“Other than Kells insistence that you return to the Prydwen? Nothing of consequence.”

 

Arthur sighed, hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “Of course, he is. He’s always lacked foresight.”

 

“Permission to speak candidly?”

 

Arthur nodded.

 

“You do realize that whatever is going on with your three cannot continue.”

 

Arthur’s gaze narrowed. Sure, the truth of he and Nora he hadn’t hidden. Still, Hancock’s presence in it was a different matter altogether. First, the idea of any sexual contact with a ghoul, despite the fact he and Hancock never interacted with one another, was abhorrent to the brotherhood. Almost worse than that, however, would be the idea that Arthur couldn’t hold onto a woman and was forced to share her with subhuman filth.

 

He’d hoped not to have to address it, but if Danse, dense about women and romance as he was, saw it? It meant it was hardly a secret.

 

Though, given that Arthur had made public his own attraction to her, and she wasn’t shy about her association with Hancock, it was only a matter of time before people realized. Not to mention they’d slept in the same house for the last few days.

 

Danse lifted his hand to silence any objections. “I am not trying to insult either of you. I am just saying, this is not a secret, and you are smart enough to know it risks your position. There is no way you could become High Elder while sleeping with a ghoul, or sharing a woman with one. It is a risk to your position, and thus to our mission.”

 

Arthur let his glare slide away, hands shoving into the pockets of his coat. “What am I supposed to do, Danse? An ultimatum would have me lose her, and I can’t lose her.”

 

“I agree. Despite her less desirable attitude, Jacobs is a good match for you. Her pre-war genetics give you the best chance of healthy children and her own connections in the Commonwealth would be a smart pairing and consolidation of power. A marriage like that would all but ensure your status as High Elder.”

 

“She isn’t just something to get me a position.”

 

Danse frowned, dark eyebrows inching inward. “I never said she was. If I believed you could not give her a happy life, or that she couldn’t give the same to you, I would never suggest it. What I am saying is that those things are givens. You could find happiness with many different women, but none of those would offer the same fringe benefits as Jacobs.”

 

Arthur wanted to argue, but Danse wasn’t wrong. Nora had a great many advantages, not that any of those were why he wanted her. Yelling at Danse for the truth seemed unfair. “Thank you, Paladin,” was all Arthur said. “I think I’ll see if Haylen has checked in, yet.”

 

He left Danse there, because what was the point in arguing with him? Even if Arthur was willing to share Nora, he couldn’t deny it was a risk that could cause him to lose everything he’d worked for.

 

What mattered to him more? His position in the Brotherhood or Nora?

 

Because it was possible he could only have one.

 

#

 

John sat in a chair by the wall, feet up and on the windowsill.

 

Nora sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him, near the fire. It wasn’t that cold, but the girl seemed to have a chill she couldn’t shake.

 

A bowl of soup balanced in her hand as she used a spoon, avoiding the tatos because she never did eat right. Still, something was better than nothing.

 

“Missed having you around, boss.” MacCready lounged on the other side of the fire, long legs out and crossed at the ankles. He’d taken up residence in Sanctuary for the most part, and while John missed having his gun to protect Goodneighbor, he was happy for the kid. He deserved some stability.

 

Hell, Nora had helped save Duncan, MacCready’s kid. It’d take a few months, but Daisy was planning the trip so Duncan could head to Sanctuary soon.

 

Looked like MacCready would have to leash his mouth all the more with a kid underfoot.

 

Still, the idea of a kid made him smile.

 

World didn’t have enough ankle biters. The reproduction rates went down because of the fucking radiation, and it wasn’t like this world was a great place for kids anyway. Not that it was an issue for John since ghouls were sterile.

 

Besides, he never wanted any of his own. He wasn’t the fatherly type, not the sort to teach kids much of anything. He was the uncle type, the one who gave kids their first knife and taught ‘em how to drink. The one whose parents would say “Now, don’t you listen to Uncle Hancock, he’s a bad influence.”

 

Fuck, yeah, every kid needed a bad influence, and there was no better bad influence than him.

 

A minuteman peeked his head in. “General? A Brotherhood scribe is here. She said you’re supposed to have a check-up?”

 

Nora groaned, leaning back, head resting against John’s hip.

 

He ran his fingers through her hair. “Thanks. Let ‘em know she’ll be there in a few. Any field scribe would agree that she should eat first.”

 

The minuteman nodded before retreating.

 

“Do you I have to?” She peered at him from her spot, which would mean he’d be upside down to her.

 

“Yeah, sister, you do.”

 

“I thought you were supposed to be the nice one.”

 

He tugged softly on her hair. “I am, but we both know nice isn’t your thing.”

 

Did she hear the pain in those words? He was good at burying pain beneath a joke and a swagger, but if anyone could catch it, it was Nora.

 

She frowned, but he tapped her nose to distract her. “Finish your food. Brotherhood gets into trouble when they’re left alone.”

 

She set the bowl down and twisted to face him. “You know I love you, right?”

 

“Yeah, course.” And he did. It almost made this all worse. He fucking knew she loved him.

 

She just didn’t love him the way she loved Arthur.

 

She leaned in, lips sliding against him to coax him to return, and he did because he couldn’t help it. He’d always respond.

 

He broke the kiss. “Go on, sunshine.”

 

“Will you spend the night with me?”

 

“Told you, bed would be crowded.”

 

“Don’t bullshit me, John. I can see right through you. Please?”

 

He sighed, hand rubbing against the thigh like his palms might have gotten sweaty. Fucking stupid, because ghouls didn’t sweat like that. “Yeah, course.”

 

She pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaving.

 

He didn’t see her again for the rest of the day. Getting out of the bed had helped, he suspected. Some food, some sun, it could perk anyone up. She seemed to be checking in with the real world, and no shortage of friends showed up to check in on her.

 

Hours later, as the sun started to dip behind the mountains, John sat on the bridge into Sanctuary, his legs hung over the side and swinging as he popped a mentat into his mouth.

 

Across the bridge, on the other side of the water, two people walked toward him. Too dark to tell who they were, but they only looked to be a danger to each other.

 

“Just talk to me,” a woman said, fingers grasping the arm of the man who walked in front of her.

 

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’ve already said everything that needs to be said, you just refuse to listen.”

 

Well, he was an asshole. Shit like that could be read even in the dark. The set of his shoulders, his tone. Yep, asshole.

 

“Yes, but then you keep crawling into my bed, so what am I supposed to think?”

 

He turned on her then, crowding her enough that John hopped to his feet, hand going to his shotgun. Fuck that, he didn’t tolerate some shit, and the way this asshole leaned into her space? Yeah, brother was gonna get an attitude adjustment if he pushed shit much father.

 

“That means nothing. It’s just convenient. And before you try to take any high ground, you never kick me out of your bed.” He yanked his arm away.

 

“Don’t say that, Rhys. It has to mean something.”

 

“If that makes you sleep better at night, think whatever you want, but we both know the truth.” He turned, storming away, toward John.

 

The woman followed, steps soft like she wasn’t sure what to do.

 

“Filthy ghoul,” the man, Rhys, snapped before he kicked John’s discarded mentats across the bridge, back toward the woman.

 

“Watch your mouth friend; it’s getting you into trouble.”

 

Rhys’ gaze dropped to where John’s hand was on his shotgun. He shook his head, muttering something with abomination in it before he continued his hissy fit into Sanctuary.

 

“You good, sister?”

 

The woman bent down to pick up the tin. As she came into the light, John lifted an eyebrow ridge. Girl was pretty if it wasn’t for the fucking tears. She held out the mentats. “Sorry about that.”

 

John took the tin, their fingers brushing. “Not a problem. Ain’t your fault he’s an asshole. World’s full of ‘em. You needing some company?”

 

She shook her head, though she didn’t yank her hand back. Even when his ruined skin touched her hand, thumb rubbing against her, his scars against her smooth skin, she didn’t pull away. “Thank you, but I should check in with Garvey for a bed for the night. If you could point me in his direction, I’d appreciate it.”

 

John pulled his hand away, sliding the mentat tin into his pocket. “Sure. Head up the road and he’s usually just outside the house with all the lights on it. Stupid had on, though less stupid than mine, so you won’t miss him. You need anything else, my name’s Hancock.”

 

She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. Seemed more like an expected response. “Haylen.”

 

Ah, that made sense. She was the field scribe who’d come to check Nora. Yeah, John could see that. The girl had the same sort of sweetness he’d seen in a lot of doctors, the sort that said she wanted to help people. Another thing the world didn’t have enough of.

 

He whistled once, sharp, to get her attention.

 

Haylen stopped and turned to face him. “Yes?”

 

He tossed her a key. “Forget Preston. House at the end of the row on the left is mine and I ain’t crashing there tonight. Got other plans. Bet you could use a good night sleep and I promise, that bed is a lot better than the mattresses on the floor in the bunkhouse.”

 

She looked down at the key like she wanted to argue, but then her face hardened. Probably thinking of Rhys rejection. “Thank you.”

 

“Sure, sister. Just don’t let that fucker into your bed, huh? You can do better.”

 

She nodded but said nothing else before walking off in the direction he’d indicated.

 

Well wasn’t that interesting?

 

John spent another few minutes in the dark until the mentats kicked in. He went to Nora’s place, lights dark inside but the door was locked. Meant they were in there. She didn’t lock the door when she was gone.

 

He used his key, locking the door behind him again.

 

His jacket and hat were placed on the table in the living room, and he left his shoes near the door. All the doubts ran through his head, the questions.

 

What the fuck was the point of this all? Why was he still trying when it was pretty damned clear he was the third wheel?

 

All those doubts disappeared when he walked into the room to find Nora naked, arms tied behind her back, kneeling in the center of the bed with Arthur behind her. One of Arthur’s hands was wrapped in her hair, forcing her head back, exposing the line of her throat, along with every other damned thing.

 

Was he supposed to leave? Nora had asked him to come, right? Had she forgotten about that? He’d given his place to Haylen for the night, but fuck knew he’d passed out in enough places that he could sleep anywhere.

 

Just as John was about to turn around, Arthur’s voice cut through the silence and the tension. “You’re late. Lucky for you, I can’t punish you.”

 

John pulled his gaze away from Nora’s body, and that wasn’t a fucking easy thing to do, to find Arthur staring at him. It took him a minute to shake off everything in his head. “You could try, pretty boy.”

 

Arthur’s low chuckle was hidden by Nora’s gasp when he closed his fingers around her nipple. “Come on, John. Nora has earned some attention. Whether that’s a punishment or reward, well, I guess we’ll see.”

 

Well, fuck. There really wasn’t any turning down an offer like that, was there?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasps* FINALLY. Smut next chapter. With the three of them.


	25. Chapter 25

Arthur couldn’t help his chuckle at John’s grin. The man wanted to argue, but like any man would walk away from Nora when she was shown off like that. Even John couldn’t manage that.

 

And no matter what happened, he’d grown to have at least an understanding of the mayor. They both cared for Nora, and if Arthur could keep her, it would be only because of John’s help. He had a debt he could never repay for that.

 

Arthur released his grip on Nora and stood. He’d already stripped off his shirt and shoes, and if there was one thing he and John could understand between them, it was the use of the game. Silence was as effective as words if you know what you were doing, inaction as tempting as action.

 

Sometimes waiting was better than receiving.

 

“Where are you-“

 

Arthur turned and lifted an eyebrow at her.

 

She went silent, cheeks flushed.

 

“Better. It seems you’ve forgotten how to behave. Not that I mind because reminding you is rather fun.”

 

John worked at removing his own shirt. “Did your scribe clear her?”

 

Arthur nodded as he picked up his beer and took a drink. “Yes. Haylen gave her a clean bill of health, with the exception of a bit of nutritional deficiency. She needs to eat better.”

 

“Don’t I know it? So, she’s up for a bit of fun, then?”

 

“It appears so. In fact, she’s been waiting long enough, I was thinking perhaps tonight we could both take her.”

 

John chuckled as he slid a small white pill past his lips. During their time on the Prydwen, Arthur had noticed John used far more chems than was wise. At least he seemed to handle them well, having managed to not get into a single fight, a task that the Brotherhood soldiers would have made difficult.

 

“Oh yeah?” John looked at Nora for confirmation. “You got a preference, sunshine? You care how this goes?”

 

She shook her head, resting back on her heels. Her bound arms stuck her chest out, and the light from the small lamp in the corner caught beads of sweat that ran between them. Arthur had already played with her for twenty minutes or so, teasing her, waiting for John.

 

John crossed the room to stand beside the bed, his hand going to her chin. His fingers stroked her cheek and over her bottom lip so gently.

 

He loved her. It was obvious in every touch, in the way he stared at her.

 

“You don’t care? Then I think I’ll probably go ahead and take your ass. I’m gentler than Arthur, and I think you might appreciate that when we got you pinned between us, full of us. Sound good?”

 

She nodded as he dipped his thumb past her lips, her eyes sliding closed, head tilting. Must be wrapping her tongue around his thumb.

 

Arthur laughed as he sat in a chair beside the bed, beer in hand. “Why don’t you get him ready, Nora. Oh, don’t look at me like that. You’ll get off when you’ve earned it, so why don’t you get to earning it.”

 

John grinned when he pulled his finger from her lips. “Nah. Ain’t gonna take your mouth. I want to hear you, want to hear every fucking sound from these lips. I've missed hearing you moan, hearing you cry out. Besides, been thinking about playing with you for too long to waste it.” He shifted her, a surprising show of strength. The ghoul was stronger than he looked.

 

Nora leaned forward as John moved her, leaving her on her knees, cheek against the bed, bent forward, arms still bound behind her, her cunt toward him.

 

John ran his fingers up her slit and over her ass with a single swipe. He turned his gaze to Arthur. “Soaked. You already been playing with her?”

 

“I said you were late. We had to fill the time somehow. Careful, though. She hasn’t gotten off, yet.”

 

John leaned in and bit down on her ass cheek, hard enough to leave a red circle. He stood back up and pushed two fingers into her cunt.

 

Arthur flicked the button on his own pants as he took another drink. He reached into his pants and underwear, hand wrapping around his cock to pull it out. He’d been wanting to watch Nora with someone else for a while, and he trusted no one with this like he did John.

 

How had that happened? That John had become someone important, someone trustworthy.

 

Arthur stroked his cock in slow, lazy pulls as he watched John.

 

The ghoul’s fingers disappeared into Nora’s cunt, slow and dexterous. He didn’t use force, didn’t use strength. His skill was obvious, methodical, and Nora’s whimpers said he knew what he was doing.

 

John's other hand mirrored Arthur’s movements, unhooking his pants and pulling his cock out. Arthur hadn’t had much chance to actually see him before since Nora was always between them. John wasn’t as long as Arthur, but thicker. The grooves from the radiation burns stood out against the reddish skin as John stroked himself.

 

Arthur wasn’t interested in men, despite having tried a few times. It didn’t mean the contours of John’s body didn’t deserve study, though it was from a clinical point of view. He thought about how the textured skin would feel against a blindfolded Nora, about how she winced that first time John had fucked her, when he’d stretched out her.

 

John would have her ass that night, and while he was the gentler of the two, he was also thicker. Arthur couldn’t help the smile as he considered that. It was a no-win situation, in some ways.

 

And since Nora thrived off some pain, it was something she’d enjoy. With everything that had happened, he wasn’t about to inflict any real pain. She wasn’t in a good headspace for that. But a sting? Some discomfort? That she’d loved.

 

Nora’s moan filled the room, as John pressed his cock against her.

 

He grasped her bound hands and pulled her backward instead of moving his hips forward, forcing her to take inch after inch.

 

The sight of John’s cock sliding into her was enough for Arthur to release his own groan, a drop of pre-come escaping from his cock.

 

Nora’s gaze snapped over to him as if the sound had drawn her there.

 

He shifted his thumb over the head of his cock, a blatant tease. She licked her lips in response.

 

“You look good there, with him fucking you, with you at his mercy. Better enjoy that nice break he’s giving you before things really get started.”

 

John set his hands on her hips, thumbs rubbing against her like he needed to memorize the shape. “You just gonna be a lazy asshole over there, Arthur? Planning on just taking in the view?”

 

“Are you really going to complain with her wrapped around you like that? So, are you ready yet, Mayor Abomination?”

 

John pulled out of Nora slowly, holding her hips when she tried to follow him. “Yeah, yeah. Better get to it, too. I don’t think she’s gonna hold out much longer, and I think I’d like to feel her come when she’s between us.”

 

Arthur took one last drink from his beer before he stood. He removed the last of his clothing while John did the same, Nora left to lie there, panting and squirming like she could get filled when she could hardly move.

 

And damn, she looked good bound. He’d only bound her arms, again moving slowly after her panic attack with the power armor. The next time perhaps they’d try a spreader bar to keep her legs apart, to keep her open for him. Some time, when she’d gained more trust, he wanted to tie down each part of her, to keep her entirely immobilized beneath him.

 

Later.

 

Arthur moved onto the bed, sitting in the middle of it.

 

John finished stripping down as well before he helped move Nora. They placed her over Arthur, straddling him as he leaned back to lie flat.

 

Arthur reached between them to angle his cock, and John led Nora by her hips until she sank down on Arthur’s length.

 

Her tightness gripped him, her thighs flexing around him until her body fit against him when he filled her.

 

John pressed his hand against her back to push her forward as he situated behind Nora. It left his legs outside of Nora's, also straddling Arthur's legs. 

 

Her breasts pushed against Arthur’s chest, her head dropping against his shoulder. He tempted her into a kiss to distract her from John since he knew the ghoul would need to get her ready.

 

#

 

John ran his hands up Nora’s back on her sides until she reached her shoulders. He grasped her bound arms and pulled once, a reminder to her of her helplessness.

 

As he could have predicted, she released a sound that was all pleasure.

 

He picked up the lube Arthur had left on the bed and flipped open the cap. He’d fucked Nora’s ass a few times while she’d been in Goodneighbor with him, so he knew she could take it. A little prep was partly for fun, but also because she’d never been fucked by two men. That required some easing into.

 

Arthur had her distracted, his lips against hers, his hand wrapped in her hair.

 

They fit together, didn’t they? It fucking stung to admit it. John might be invited in, but that was it. He was the third wheel. He was the extra thing.

 

He pushed away the thought because no matter what he thought, he sure as fucking wasn’t giving tonight up. How sad was that? He’d take what he could get.

 

He let his hand drift down to where Arthur’s cock was inside of Nora, tracing where she stretched around him. Both of them moaned at the touch.

 

The lube wasn’t too cold, leaving John to assume Arthur had left it somewhere warm. He drizzled it onto his fingers, then added a bit more directly to her.

 

Nora shuddered as the lube dripped down over her.

 

Fuck, every part of her was tempting.

 

John stroked two fingers over her before pressing them into her. There was no reason for the super slow one, two, three finger bullshit. Nora didn’t need it and he wanted to be inside her. He wanted to feel her tighten around him, wanted to feel her body against his.

 

Maybe it would silence all the bullshit in his head.

 

He twisted his wrist as he fucked her slowly with the fingers, his other hand on her hip to keep her still. Each time his knuckles passed her rim, she released a soft cry muffled by Arthur’s lips.

 

Her back arched as he pulled the fingers from her.

 

“I think she’s ready.”

 

Arthur broke the kiss and moved his hands to Nora’s hips. “Alright. Let’s try this.”

 

John added more lube to his cock because that wasn’t the pain he wanted Nora in. He reached forward to grab her ponytail, pulling it back until her neck arched, to give him leverage. He fit his cock against her ass, savoring the way all three of them froze.

 

He released a shaky breath before pushing against her. “Relax,” he growled when she resisted, when he made no progress.

 

Arthur laughed. “She’s fighting it? Why am I not surprised. There seems to be nothing Nora doesn’t fight against, no matter how much she wants it.” He shifted beneath Nora, and her moan combined with her pulling against her binds said he was doing something.

 

“You nervous, sunshine? I promise I’ll take it easy. Just stop tensing up, huh?” John pressed a kiss to her shoulder blade before nipping the point there.  

 

Whatever Arthur was doing worked, and another push of John’s hips had him sliding into her.

 

Fuck, she was so damned tight around him, squeezing down on the head of his cock. He pulled in a breath because the sight of her pinned between them, the feel of her body when he’d missed her so damned much, it had him almost coming right then.

 

John pulled on her hair again as he pushed forward and retreated in tiny increments until his pelvis pressed against her. He allowed himself a moment to enjoy the way she tightened around him, and damn she was tight. With Arthur filling her cunt, she felt so damned good.

 

Nora shivered between them, her hips rotating despite her not because able to gain any ground.

 

“You’re so damned full, aren’t you, Nora?” Arthur rolled his hips up, his cock grinding into her. “Do you like this?”

 

Her voice came out soft. “Yes. Would one of you fucking move already, though?”

 

Her snark had John chuckling. Girl was never gonna change. “Alright, sister, let’s see how you like this.” He gripped her bound hands tighter to hold her still as he pulled backward until he was almost out of her, then thrust back in.

 

Arthur cursed, and John could understand that. He not only drug against Nora when he moved but against Arthur’s cock as well.

 

It drove John on, encouraged him. Some petty part of him like the idea of pleasuring both of them, of giving them both something since at least he fit in that moment. He kept the same slow but deep pace up, her ponytail wrapped around his hand to hold her still.

 

Even with him inside of her, he felt like he was losing her, so he talked himself through it.

 

“Fuck, sunshine, you feel so damned good. I’ve taken your ass enough times, but I won’t ever sick of it, especially like this. Love the way you pull at your arms like you can do shit. You just gotta take it though, don’t you? Don’t worry about it, we’ll take good fucking care of you.”

 

Arthur’s hips started to move as well, though he didn’t seem to try to match any real rhythm. With Nora above him, he didn’t have an ability to retreat and advance, which mean each thrust was more of a grinding motion that push him deeper into her cunt. Still, the deep sounds from his chest said he enjoyed them, and the way Nora’s hands drew into fists said she did as well.

 

Hancock released her hair and set his hand on her hip to add more power to each thrust. He couldn’t close his eyes because the sight was too damned good.

 

He quickened his pace and tightened his hands on Nora to keep her still for both him and Arthur. They fucked her harder, and she went back to kissing Arthur. The kiss was clumsy and loud, broken by the sounds from each of them.

 

John took out his frustration on Nora, using her body to bury himself in, to bury all his worries in. Sweat ran down her back, between her shoulder blades, and he knew her body.

 

She was close. By the sounds Arthur made, so was he.

 

They’d come first, both of them. It was some stupid point of pride for him.

 

Arthur’s arm between him and Nora moved faster. She tightened around them both in waves. He must be playing with her clit.

 

Good, at least he was paying attention.

 

“Come on, Nora. You know you want to come on both our dicks,” Arthur said. “You finally got both of us and we’re going to use you like we want to. Your best bet is to stop fighting it.”

 

She gasped and shuddered as she came. Her back twisted, arms yanking against the binds, hips shifted. Her ass tightened down so much John had to stop moving as her body gripped his.

 

Arthur continued to thrust into her, and the way his arm moved said he was still fingering her clit. She came for the longest time, Arthur not giving her any time to recover as he kept up with his fingers.

 

“Too much,” she whispered.

 

Arthur went still, hand pulling away. “You need us to pull out?”

 

She dropped her head against his shoulder, breathing ragged.

 

Staying still was hard, but John made sure he didn’t move a fucking muscle. He'd never risk hurting Nora, never risk doing something she didn't want. 

 

After a moment, Nora moved her hips backward.

 

John held her still. “Can you take more?”

 

She nodded but didn’t lift her head. “Yeah. Just leave my clit alone, please? I want you both to come inside me.”

 

Arthur pressed a kiss to Nora’s head. “We can do that. Just trust us. We’ll take care of you.” He lifted his hips to sink into her, using the small amount of room to fuck her.

 

John took the cue to set his own pace. He got a bigger reaction to his movement from her. She twisted, but Arthur wrapped his arms around her to pin her to his chest, keeping her still.

 

John leaned further over her to fuck her deeper, savoring the way he could feel Arthur moving inside her as well, the way the aftershocks of her orgasm made her body tighten around them.

 

Arthur’s fingers dug into Nora, the skin turning white, as he came with a deep groan.

 

Finally.

 

John released a string of curses as he came, spilling into her, offering her something even if it was the only thing he had to give her.

 

He leaned over her, his forehead pressed against her back, her arms and Arthur’s pinned between them. Fuck, they were warm.

 

The idea of heading back to Goodneighbor made him want to roll over and say fuck it. Who cared if he was the third wheel if he got something. Something was a hell of a lot better than the empty nothingness that waited for him in the Statehouse.

 

He was so damned tired of nothingness, of fucking one night stands, of people who didn’t a shit about him.

 

Nora moved, and he remembered he was probably heavy.

 

John pulled out of her and sat back. He undid the cuffs at her wrists and removed the rope that kept her arms immobile. Once it was off, he pulled her to sit up and rubbed her shoulders, then down her arms, to her wrists. It seemed Arthur had been careful not to bind her too tightly, but her arms had to be sore with all the struggling she did.

 

“You okay?” He pressed a kiss to her cheek.

 

Nora twisted enough to kiss his lips over her shoulder. She tasted like Arthur’s beer. “Yes. Thank you, John.”

 

“Sure, sister. Anytime. Let me get you a rag, huh?” He moved off the bed, taking the lube and dropping it off on the dresser. He went to the hallway closest and grabbed a rag.

 

Back inside the room, Nora had rolled off Arthur, her head on a pillow, arms wrapped around it. Her eyes had drifted closed.

 

Hell, maybe she’d have a good night’s sleep finally. She needed that, need to manage a whole night where she slept without bad dreams, without getting up and staring into the darkness. 

 

John handed the rag to Arthur who cleaned Nora. She shivered and whimpered when the rag passed over her clit, but otherwise allowed Arthur to take care of her without complaint. She trusted Arthur. After all the damned lessons, all the times he'd tried to teach Arthur, he'd done it. That there was trust, and real connection. 

 

“I’m gonna go have a smoke,” John said as he pulled on his pants. He leaned over to press a kiss to Nora’s head. “I’ll see you tomorrow, sunshine.”

 

She mumbled something back, already seeming to have fallen asleep.

 

Hancock shrugged his shirt on as he left, leaving the hat and the coat because they were just too much trouble. He needed to get out of that house.

 

“John, wait.” Arthur’s voice was the last thing he wanted to hear, but when had what he wanted really changed much?

 

John turned around as he buttoned his shirt, plastering a smile on his face. “Yeah?”

 

“You don’t have to leave. Nora wanted you to stay the night.”

 

“We both know that isn’t gonna work. You and I? We can deal with each other, but this ain’t a happy little family where we’re gonna curl up in bed together. You know it, I know it, Nora will figure it out. It’s fine, though. I’ve got a place, ain’t like I’m running off or anything.”

 

“John-“

 

“-Go on. Remember our talk about aftercare? Get your ass back in there and look after her unless you need me to kick you again or something?”

 

Arthur rubbed his hand over the back of his neck before sighing. “Have a good night.”

 

“Yeah, you, too.” John lit his cigarette while he walked out of the house, closing the door behind him. The night meant the settlement was quiet, though he missed the hum of people in Goodneighbor. Even in the middle of the night, drifters walked the town, hookers looked for clients. Always someone to see, someone to talk to, someone to distract himself with.

 

That’s what he needed right then, he needed a distraction. He needed something to take the edge off, to lose himself in.

 

He walked, looking for something, anything. Preston could drone on about settlements, or MacCready could bitch about caps, or fucking anything.

 

Instead, what he found was shouting.

 

Knight Asshole was pounding on the door to Hancock’s place, the one he’d let Haylen stay in. “Look, just let me in.”

 

Haylen’s voice floated through the door, quiet but loud enough for Hancock to catch it. “No. You told me what you think of this, so why would I open this door?”

 

“Because we both know you’ll take whatever I’m willing to give you. You’ll open this door and let me in because you’d rather have some of me than none of me. You put on your show, you can pat yourself on the back for standing your ground, now open the door like we both know you’re gonna.”

 

John pulled his blade, the weight of it familiar and calming. “Hey there, brother.”

 

Rhys turned a glare on him. “Stay out of this, freak.”

 

“Can’t. Consider me on asshole patrol, and you? You’re an asshole. So why don’t you take yourself back wherever you’re crashing for tonight.”

 

Rhys pulled his shoulders back until he noticed her knife. The idiot hadn’t even brought a gun. Guess he expected the scribe to let him in and figured the only gun he needed what whatever pathetic piece of equipment he kept in that jumpsuit. “Fine.” He twisted to speak into the door. “You’re fucking freaks now? Good thing I didn’t come in, the last thing I want is to catch whatever you got from this thing.” Rhys turned on his heel and stormed off in the opposite direction.

 

John rapped his knuckles against the door. “Hey, Haylen. It’s Hancock. Ran off your buddy and I don’t think he’ll be back tonight.”

 

The lock clicked before the door opened. Haylen stood there in a pair of old pajamas: a large shirt and pair of soft sleeping pants. Her hair was down and hung around her shoulders. Red rimmed her eyes again. “Thank you.”

 

John sighed at the unhappiness on her face. “Offered before, I’ll offer again. You want some company?”

 

“You look like you could use some company.”

 

He shrugged, not wanting to look needy. “Yeah, I could. Long night, and it’s quiet here. I don’t do quiet. Could come in, talk and drink the night away. Promise, I’m good at conversation.”

 

“Just conversation.” She said it without looking him in the face. Girl was shy? 

 

He lifted his hands, trying to look innocent. Fact was, he wasn’t looking for anything but conversation anyway. He’d just gotten off, and while Haylen was pretty, he just wasn’t interested in any bullshit romance. He wasn't doing a great job in that department, so adding any more complicated would just be fucking stupid. Still, she was soft and sweet and a damned good way to deal with the quiet of the night. They could both use it. “Just conversation, sister, I promise.”

 

Haylen stepped back and held the door open for him.

 

Finally, an open fucking door.


	26. Chapter 26

John crouched next to the large safe, rotating the dial as he tried to remember the code. Fahr’s birthday. Woman was his best friend, and her birthday was tattooed on his fucking heart, more important than his own.

 

Haylen sat in the large chair, legs folded beneath her. She’d slid into the spot after closing them inside the small house together. “I was wondering what you had locked up in there. Locks like that are usually for keeping really special things safe.”

 

John grinned over his shoulder at her. “You telling me you tried to break into my safe?”

 

Her cheeks flushed. “Part of my job is collecting useful technology for the Brotherhood. Most of that hides behind locked doors, which made it so I had to learn to get past them. I ended up with a thing for opening locked doors.”

 

“Well, everyone needs a thing.” He winked before turning back to the safe. It clicked as the lock disengaged, and he shifted back to pull it open.

 

John pulled out two of the items and turned to show Haylen.

 

“You lock up alcohol?”

 

“Not just alcohol.” He held the bottles between the fingers of one hand before grabbing out the other things. “I got all the best party favors here and didn’t want to risk anyone using ‘em and leaving me high and dry.”

 

“That’s a lot of chems.”

 

John reached the hand with the alcohol toward her as he tossed the handful of chems onto the table. “Take your pick, sister.”

 

She took the moonshine, leaving Hancock with the whiskey.

 

Worked for him, but fuck, he wasn’t picky. Especially not that night. He just couldn’t shake the damned ache in his chest.

 

He sat in one of the dining room chairs and put his feet on the table with a loud thud. It was his table, so who cared.

 

Haylen twisted the top off the moonshine then took a sip. She didn’t gulp it, didn’t take deep drinks like John did. She drank with small draws, her throat shifting as she swallowed. It’d take her all night to finish at that pace.

 

John took a hit of jet instead of the whiskey, gaze taking in Haylen. He let the chems hit his system, drawing out the moments, making it so he could spot every light freckle on the woman’s cheeks, every spot where her eyelashes still had tears clinging to them. “So, what is it about that asshole that keeps you going back, huh?”

 

“We’re jumping right into that, are we? Usually conversation starts small.”

 

“Night’s long, figured we oughta start with the biggest bullshit I’ve seen. You know he’s an asshole, right? You ain’t a stupid girl that I can see, so I can’t imagine you don’t know it.”

 

She picked at the label of the moonshine, eyes down, nails clicking against the bottle. “I know. He was my sponsor when I joined the Brotherhood. He was actually the whole reason I joined. He was recruited outside of Rivet City, and I took one look at him and decided he was worth following. I wanted to do good, to help the Brotherhood, but if I’m being honest, I followed him. I mean, I know how stupid that sounds now-“

 

“-ain’t stupid. Well, I mean, wanting Knight Dipshit is, but doing something crazy? Yeah, I get that. I think everyone has something crazy they do, and fuck, maybe the best parts of our lives start with something crazy. Still remember when I left Diamond City.”

 

Haylen frowned, gaze darting up. “I thought ghouls weren’t allowed in Diamond City.”

 

“Wasn’t always a ghoul. Used to be handsome even, if you could believe that.”

 

“I believe it.” The moment the words came out, Haylen looked away and took a drink like it could erase the words, a flush on her cheeks.

 

Fucking cute. “Well, see, when the ghouls were forced out, I left, too. Didn’t have to, I wasn’t a ghoul yet. Everyone thought it was stupid, but I had to. Couldn’t stay there, not after that. Later, when I took over Goodneighbor, when I got everyone together to take out the old mayor, people thought I was a fucking idiot. They said going up against Vic was just gonna get me killed. Didn’t stop me. Yeah, I get doing stupid shit because you have to. Doesn’t explain why you keep it up, though, why you keep letting him shit on you.”

 

She moved off her legs, then set her feet up on the table next to his, her bare feet beside his boots. It let her recline in the chair, moonshine clamped between her thighs. “I keep thinking it’s going to change. I keep thinking he’s going to figure it out, that he’s going to see me the way I see him. Like, if I give enough, if I’m there enough, he’s going to wake up and realize he loves me, too. I just feel like I only have to hang in there and he’ll decide he wants me. I doubt you understand that.”

 

“You might be surprised.”

 

She pressed his boot with her bare toes in a gentle push. “You don’t strike me as the type who deals with unrequited love. I doubt there’s anyone who could resist your charm, anyway.”

 

He thought back to Nora, to the way she fit into Arthur’s arms, to the way they’d kissed. Didn’t matter that she’d spent so much time with John, the fucking moment she’d ended up near Arthur, the two had been drawn together like chems and booze. How did you fight that? How did you deal with magnetism like that?

 

Did he even want to? What sort of asshole would consider breaking that up? He wanted Nora happy at the end of the day, no matter what else that meant.

 

John tipped his bottle back to take a big drink, wincing at the burn. “Like I said, sweetheart, you’d be surprised.”

 

#

 

Nora sat on the bed staring at Arthur at he slept.

 

He slept so deeply, something that had always fascinated her. During the day he had so many stresses, so many things on his shoulders, it never seemed he had time to even breathe. He was young, but he never seemed it when awake, when moving.

 

During those times he was more a force of nature than anything else. He was a fixed point in the world, something that was larger than life.

 

When he slept, he looked like the young man he was, his face relaxed, the tension gone.

 

The Arthur who was Elder, who ran the Prydwen, that was a figure. It was a show.

 

This man? This was a man she could see a future with. This was a real person, the man who asked her to call him Arthur, the one who had hesitated beside her when he’d wanted to eat breakfast with her, it was the man who had held her after her panic attack.

 

She touched the scar on his cheek, the deep one that marred that side of his face.

 

He snapped awake, a hand wrapped around her wrist in a tight grip.

 

Nora didn’t say anything, just waited for him to wake up enough to realize who it was.

 

Arthur blinked, eyes darting as he took in the room. His thumb rubbed against her wrist before he released her. “Good morning.”

 

She leaned in for a gentle kiss to respond, one he gave back, his hand moving to the back of her neck.

 

When she broke the kiss, she sat up. “Where’s John?”

 

“I guess we showed you a good time if you don’t remember. He left last night.”

 

“Left?” Fear skirted across her words. He wouldn’t have gone back to Goodneighbor, would he?

 

Arthur groaned an unhappy sound as he stood, shoulders rolling to wake up. “He is still in Sanctuary.”

 

“I asked him to stay the night.”

 

Arthur went about dressing as Nora sat on the bed. “I know, but I’m not sure that was a fair request.”

 

“Fair?”

 

“I don’t think John is interested in sharing, or at least he doesn't believe it would work. I get the feeling he’s just buying time before he believes you’ll leave him. That isn’t the sort of thing that makes it fair to ask him to sleep in a bed beside you and the man he thinks is stealing you away.”

 

Oh. Nora’s lungs seemed too small in her chest as she thought about John and his easy laugh, cigarette clamped between his lips, the corner of those lips pulled into a smirk. And now Nora was doing to him what Arthur had done to her for so long, giving him only a portion of herself and expecting him to be happy with it.

 

“But I love him.”

 

“I know that, and he does, too, but we all know that in this world that isn’t always enough. It doesn’t solve the inherent problems.”

 

“What problems?”

 

Arthur’s eyebrow cocked up. “You know what problems, but if you need me to spell them out for you, I will. I am the East Coast Elder of the Brotherhood and the sole Maxson heir. I will need to marry and have children sooner rather than later. That will require us to either make this official or me to potentially move on.” The last two words came out low like he had to shove them through a tight throat. “Add to that, I am likely to have to leave the Commonwealth at some point, which would mean you having to decide if you would come with me or stay. What I am saying is that there is no logical way to make a lasting relationship with both of us. As much as I would be willing to do so, you cannot be in two places at once.”

 

Nora wrung her hands, brain working for a way to refute the claims. “What if John lived on the Prydwen? He could come with us.”

 

“He wouldn’t be happy there, and you can’t ask him to give up his life. He’d be surrounded by people who hate him, without anyone but you and I who are often busy with Brotherhood work.”

 

“I can’t lose him.”

 

Arthur pulled his coat on before he sat at the foot of the bed, eyes on the far wall. “I am not saying you have to lose him, Nora. I am saying you will have to choose, but that doesn’t mean you have to choose me. It’s possible you could decide he’s the better choice. With John, you could have a real home, a city, someone who won’t be called away or uprooted. You wouldn’t be pushed by outside pressure, wouldn’t have to deal with the baggage I carry within the Brotherhood.”

 

“Are we really right back here again, with you trying to scare me off?”

 

Arthur twisted to face her. “No. I want you; I wasn’t lying about that. What I want is you by my side every day, to wake up next to you every morning, to fall asleep beside you every night. I want to marry you, have children with you, and never let you go. I want all of that, but I’m not so selfish that I can’t realize it is asking you to give up a lot, and you need to think about that. You deserve the chance to think about it.”

 

The idea of letting either go broke Nora’s heart. Even as she had to acknowledge Arthur being right, that nothing he said was incorrect, she couldn’t stomach considering losing either man.

 

“You don’t need to know right now.” Arthur set his hand on hers and squeezed. “I said you deserved time, and I meant it. Besides, there are other things we need to discuss.”

 

“Shaun?”

 

“Yes. Things have become more complicated there as well. What are you planning to do?”

 

“The better question is what you plan on doing? Are you still going to destroy the Institute knowing my son runs it?”

 

Arthur released her hand. “Yes. The Institute needs to be dealt with, and the fact that your son runs it doesn’t change the danger it possesses to the rest of the world.”

 

“You’d kill my son?”

 

“I will continue with our plans to destroy the Institute. I have to, and if you were in my place, you’d do the same. However, I will do whatever I can to spare him. I never want to see you hurt, and I certainly don’t want to be the cause.”

 

“You expect me to help you tear apart everything my son built?”

 

“I expect you to do what is right, which is what you usually do. I could lie and tell you I’d stop, that I’d let the Institute go, but we both know it would be a lie. Neither of us are people who could, or would, set aside our duty for our own personal feelings. The Institute has to be stopped, and it doesn’t matter who runs it, does not change that we have to stop it.”

 

The image of her son, of Shaun, was etched in her head. “He looks like Nate did. Well, like Nate would have looked if he’d lived that long. When he talked to me, it was like seeing Nate standing there.”

 

“You never talk about Nate. You’ve never said anything about him.”

 

“I don’t like to think about him, it still hurts too much. But seeing Shaun was like seeing Nate again. How can I even think about going up against him when it took me this long to find him?” Nora whispered the words out, each one scraping along her nerves.

 

Arthur leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. “Just think about it. I have to head back to the Prydwen today. Come and see me soon?”

 

Nora tilted her head to capture his lips in a kiss before she answered. “Give me a couple days to get things set up here.”

 

“I’ll wait as long as it takes.” His hand tightened in her hair for a moment before he released her and left.

 

Nora sat on the bed, faced with choices she had no idea how to make.

 

Was there even a right choice? 


	27. Chapter 27

Nora sat in the projectionist chair overlooking Starlight Drive-Inn. She’d kept this place locked up since she liked having private space at all her settlements.

 

Looking over the settlement relaxed her. She’d done this all, done what no one else had managed. She’d rebuilt the Minutemen from the ground up, turned them into a force in the Commonwealth. She’d given hundreds, maybe thousands of people safe places to live, places to create homes in, to prosper in.

 

The scope of her own problems dwindled when she looked at all she’d done.

 

Figuring out how to deal with Shaun seemed simple. All these people relied on her, and Shaun put them all in danger. Could she really risk them just for Shaun? Did she owe these people any less than she owed her own son?

 

Even as she asked herself the question, Arthur’s words rang in her head. He was right, as was often the case when it came to simple tactics. She’d never be able to turn her back on all her friends just for a child she hadn’t raised, one who had been willing to throw her to the Commonwealth for his own amusement.

 

She couldn’t let it continue, and she was in a position to do something about it. She couldn’t stand by and do nothing when she could help.

 

“You watching a dirty movie without me?” Hancock sat in a chair beside her and set his feet up on the window.

 

“Yep. I like to put it on the big screen and make all the settlers watch.”

 

He laughed before he grasped her chair and pulled it closer, then threw an arm around her shoulders. “Kinky. Knew there was a reason I loved you.”

 

She tensed at his words, at the way Arthur’s voice wouldn’t shut up in her head.

 

She had to pick.

 

It wasn’t fair to string them both along, but she couldn’t imagine leaving either of them, not seeing either of them.

 

“Thinking awfully hard when we’re just talking shit here.”

 

She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. It just seemed fair to talk to him, to explain this shit to him, to let him have a peek into her head. “Look, John-“

 

“-don’t say it. If you ain’t sure, don’t say anything. And if you are sure, don’t do the whole ‘we’re always gonna love each other,’ speech. If you’re sure, if it’s him and it ain’t me, I get it. Just don’t bullshit me. We ain’t that sort of people. If you do pick him? Just give me a kiss and tell me you’re taking a walk, huh?”

 

Nora stared into his black eyes, trying to read him but unable to. She never could read him, not really. Wasn’t that he was secretive, not like Arthur, she just never understood him. How could he be that damned good? Why wasn’t he screaming at her? Why wasn’t he demanding she make a choice already?

 

“Ah hell, sunshine.” He grasped her around the waist and pulled her over until she straddled him, then pulled her into a hug. “Easy there, now.”

 

“How can you not hate me?”

 

“Take a lot more than a little confusion for me to hate you. Remember, this all started because I offered to help you with Arthur, right? Can’t exactly be surprised when I manage to help him, now can I? Just goes to show I’m a good fucking teacher. Now, knock off this sad shit. I’m here as long as you want me here. Ain’t pissed about Arthur, said from the start that sex doesn’t bother me. Let’s not waste any more time worrying about the future. I ain’t the sort who worries about tomorrow that much.”

 

Nora pulled in a deep breath before nodding. He was right. They didn’t know what was going to happen just yet, so why destroy this happiness for a future that might never happen?

 

She pulled out of his lap and knocked his legs down from their spot in the window. His boots struck the ground with a thud.

 

“You feeling feisty there, sunshine?”

 

Nora grinned before she pressed her hands to his thighs and spread them wide, settling between them. She rubbed her palms over the insides of his thighs from hip to knee. Even through the fabric, she could feel the ridges of his skin.

 

John frowned for a moment, then reached for the flag sash as his waist. He untied it, then held it up. “You okay with me blindfolding you, sister?”

 

Nora nodded. John wasn’t the type to tie her up much. He seemed to prefer asking her to follow orders, rewarded when she worked hard to please him. Why would he want her blindfolded?

 

She didn’t have time to consider it before the fabric was put over her eyes and tied behind her head.

 

His hand went to her chin, grasping it gently, fingers familiar and so damned warm. “How does that feel? Is it okay? Nope, I want to hear your voice.”

 

“Yes, it’s okay.”

 

His lips brushed hers. “Good. That changes, tell me. Now, being blind and all, I think I’ll have a little mercy on you and give you a little help with where I’m pretty sure you were heading.” He shifted around, her hands still on his thighs letting her tell when he moved.

 

He slid his hand into her hair and pulled her forward. Something warm and blunt pressed against her lips, tracing them in a lazy motion. Wetness was left behind, and when her tongue darted out, a slightly salty taste let her know what she’d already guessed.

 

“You look nice like this. Been too long since I had you all to myself.”

 

Nora opened her mouth to say something, but he took the chance to slide himself past her lips. Memory took over for her, her tongue wrapping around his cock, teasing the underside of it. She tightened her lips around him, enjoying the way he let her play.

 

He always enjoyed her playing, the way she’d use her tongue, the way she’d pull off to kiss up his length, to tease him. Arthur didn’t let her play. He enjoyed taking more, which was fine. She liked that, too.

 

A rumbled groan and the twitch of the hand in her hair said he enjoyed her attention. “Got the best mouth. I love seeing you on your knees like this, lips stretched around me.”

 

She pulled back, lips tightening around the head of his cock, tongue pressing against the slit there. When she pulled back all the way, his cock slid from her mouth. Without her sight, she had to lean forward to find him again, drawing another chuckle from him.

 

“It’s a treasure hunt, huh?”

 

She mouthed kisses up his cock, tongue dipping into the grooves there from the radiation burns. One hand went from his thigh to cup his balls, tugging softly on them.

 

“Fucking hell,” he rumbled out. “You never did play fair.”

 

Nora drug her tongue along him until she reached the head of his cock again, managing to get it past her lips for a moment before John yanked her off him and into his lap.

 

He kissed her, tongue pressing past her lips in a desperate devouring kiss. His grip on her hair held her still for his kiss, harsher than he usually was.

 

She reached down and wrapped her hand around his cock.

 

John took the hint, releasing her hair to yank her pants down to her ankles. He shifted them, putting her knees on her chair, hands braced on the back of the chair. Him moving without her being able to see him created a nervous excitement in her. Each place he touched her was like a spark, a surprise.

 

What wasn’t a surprise was when he began to press into her.

 

Nora’s moan was loud and filthy in the small room, and she didn’t care. John stretching her was something she’d never get enough of, the way he slid against her walls, his hand going to her hips to grasp. His other ran up her back from ass to the nape of her neck like he couldn’t touch her enough.

 

“You make the best noises. You like the blindfold? Like getting fucked when you can’t see a thing?”

 

“Yeah,” she said, voice breaking off on a gasp when he thrust in hard.

 

His chuckle said he’d done it on purpose. He reached below her, leaning forward, bending over her. Because her legs were pressed together, he had to force two fingers between her thighs to find her clit, but he seemed to have no problem finding it.

 

Nora shifted her hips, but John’s body kept her pinned. Between the hand on her clit, the one grasping her hip, his cock inside her, she could do nothing but grasp the back of the chair and feel. Without even her sight, all she could do was listen and feel.

 

The slap of flesh, her moans, his panting against her shoulder, the sound of him sliding into her. The friction of his cock inside her, the bite of his hand on her hip, his lips against her shoulder blade. It all overwhelmed her.

 

She came, back arching as she pushed her hips backward to take him as deep as she could. Her cunt tightened around him, gasping as he kept up his pace and chased his own release.

 

He came a few thrusts later, fingers still against her clit though he’d stopped rubbing. His chest thundered against her back as he caught his breath, forehead pressed against her back, warm even through the shirt. “Fucking perfect, as always.” He pressed another kiss to her back before he set a hand on the back of the chair beside hers and pressed to help him stand.

 

The chair groaned a moment before it snapped, sending them both to the ground. Nora might have been able to catch herself if she hadn’t been in a post-orgasm haze with her pants around her ankles.

 

Pain shot up her arm when she tried to catch herself on it, John’s weight pinning her as well.

 

He scrambled off her, pulling the blindfold from her eyes. “Fuck, Nora. You okay?”

 

Nora laughed.

 

It wasn’t funny, maybe. They were both half naked and she knew she’d at least twisted her shoulder if not worse. Pain radiated down that whole arm, but she still laughed.

 

It was so them. A disaster, just constant chaos.

 

John started to laugh along with her like it was contagious. It took a moment before John pulled up and fastened his own pants, then helped her with hers. “You are so my kind of freak show. Come on, let’s get your arm looked at.”

 

#

 

An hour later, Haylen had set Nora’s shoulder, and he was trying to get the girl’s ass into bed. She grasped his coat in her good arm, trying to pull him with her.

 

“Hand’s off, sunshine. Get that ass into the bed. You know, I’ve dosed you med-x more times than I like to admit, and none of them have been fun.”

 

Nora pouted as John pulled the blanket over her. As he grabbed water and set it by the bed, getting things together for her, her pout drifted away replaced by a frown. “I miss him.”

 

“Arthur? I could send word for him, or you could go see him. Settlement can run on its own, you know.”

 

She shook her head, rolling on her side with her good shoulder. “Shaun.”

 

“You can go back to the Institute to see him.”

 

“That’s not Shaun. It’s not my baby. I didn’t even get to raise him.”

 

John froze beside the bed, staring down at her. “Is that something you want? Kids?”

 

Her voice slurred as she spoke, sleep taking her. “Yeah. Once everything is settled down, yeah. I want kids I can raise this time.”

 

Fuck. John’s brain stuttered to a stop so long, her snoring filled the room.

 

Guess conversation was over for the night.

 

Kids were one thing he sure as fuck couldn't give her. That was a future she didn't have with him. 

 

He left the room, surprised to find Haylen still in the living room. “Everything okay?”

 

“Yes. I just wanted to make sure she was settled.”

 

“Yeah. She’s out in there, off in Med-x world till at least morning. You know, you’re a good doctor.”

 

She smiled as she pulled the strap of her medicine backpack over her shoulder. “I’m a field scribe, not a doctor.”

 

“I’ve dealt with enough doctors to know those arrogant pricks don’t know half what you do.”

 

Haylen pulled at the pack, her shoe shuffling against the floor. “So it’s Nora?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“We talked about unrequited love. You bring her limping in here, looking at her like you do? But I’ve also see her with Elder Maxson, heard the stories about them. I guess you do understand better than I’d realized.”

 

John reached for his mentats, the pills rattling as his hands shook. “We all have shit we wish were different, right?” He popped a pill past his lips. “Come on, let me walk you back to my place, huh? I’m going to crash here, keep an eye on Nora.”

 

They didn’t run into anyone on the way there, and he was thankful. While seeing Rhys might make him feel better, because pounding on a fuckwit like him was bound to cheer him up, he’d had a rough enough day as it was.

 

Best not to risk any other problems.

 

At the door, Hayen unlocked the shack but didn’t enter right away. She turned to face him, standing on the threshold. “Nora’s an idiot,” she said, voice soft. “If she can’t see what’s right in front of her, she’s an idiot.”

 

John wanted to believe the words, wanted to use them to sooth over the part of him that stung from Nora’s inevitable rejection, from all the self-hatred he carried around anyway. Too dangerous to believe that bullshit though. “I know I have this whole sexy king of the zombies thing going on, but trust me, I ain’t such a catch when you get to know me.” He gazed down at her feet where it was safest.

 

At least until Haylen moved in, ducking down to capture his lips in a soft kiss.

 

So fucking soft.

 

John forgot everything for a moment. He pushed her into the shack, twisting her and catching them with a hand on the wall. He pinned her against the wall, taking her mouth in a deep kiss. She tasted like fucking Nuka Cola and powder sugar.

 

Fancy Lad Cakes?

 

He didn’t care what the taste was, he just  knew he liked it.

 

At least until he remembered what the hell he was doing.

 

John jerked backward, shaking his head to clear it. “Fucking hell, “ he muttered.

 

“Sorry,” she rushed out. “I’m so sorry. I never should have done that.”

 

John took a few steps back, not willing to risk looking at her. If he looked at her, he might take her to bed just because he wanted to be wanted. He wanted someone to look at him the way she did, like he was something good.

 

He wanted to be someone’s first choice for the first fucking time.

 

And that wasn’t fair to anyone.

 

“Nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart. I’m gonna get back to Nora, yeah? We’ll talk tomorrow.”

 

He left before she answered, because there wasn’t any answer that would make this better, that would fix the ache in his chest or the frustration he couldn’t shake. He could take her, lose himself in her, but then tomorrow he’d be in the same exact place with the same exact problems.

 

If he did that, if he kept going with Haylen, it would only be a matter of time before she saw him like everyone else did, and the selfish part of him wasn’t willing to risk that.

 

He wanted just one person to keep thinking he was worth a damn.


	28. Chapter 28

 

Nora's head throbbed and her mouth felt like cotton. While the night before had been a blur, something she was thankful for when it came to Haylen setting her shoulder, a few things came through clear enough.

 

Like her admitting to John she wanted children and the pain on his face at the words.

 

John was sterile. A little gift from being a ghoul.

 

She knew it, she could accept it, had accepted it. They could have adopted, something.

 

However, admitting it out loud reminded her that it was something she could never really have with him, something she wanted that he now knew she wanted.

 

The more she pulled him around, the more she hesitated between her choices, the more she hurt him. The more she hurt Arthur. The more she hurt everyone.

 

"I know that face." John smoked his cigarette as he sat beside the stream.

 

Nora took the spot he indicated by patting the ground beside him. "You should have woken me up sooner."

 

"Ain't a morning person, sunshine. Besides, the rule is you get to sleep in if you get your shoulder dislocated during sex."

 

"Only if it happens during sex?"

 

"That's my own personal way to get more people to have sex with me. Consider it a fringe benefit."

 

"Come for the sex, stay for the great medical." Nora stole the cigarette from him. She rarely smoked, but right then? Right then it seemed needed.

 

He let out a cold laugh. "Well fuck, if you're smoking, this must be the talk, right?"

 

Nora blew the smoke out, cigarette dangling between her fingers. "I'm sorry about last night, about the kid talk."

 

"Don't be. We want what we want. Fuck, you should have told me before how important it was to you."

 

"I guess I hadn't thought about it. I'd thought I had Shaun. Now that I know I don't, now that I know I've lost all that, I realized how much I want it back."

 

John took the cigarette back, careful not to brush his fingers against hers. "I get it. Me? Not really a kid person, not as a parent. Don't think I'd make a good one. Parents, they're supposed to be a lot of shit. Responsible, mature, selfless. I ain't any of those things."

 

"You're not as bad as you think you are."

 

He shook his head, not laughing, not cracking a joke. "Come on. Get on with it, sister. You didn't come out here for a pep talk. I'm a big boy, I can handle this shit. Rip it off like a band-aid. Trust me, I've had worse."

 

It was true. She knew it, even if he rarely spoke much of his past. She knew enough about it to know he'd turned himself into a ghoul due to his own self=loathing. Whatever was in his past, all the things he thought he'd done wrong, they weighed on him. He'd never told her too many details, kept it all close to the chest, but it only meant she wanted even more to not hurt him.

 

But she was going to. There was no way not to hurt him.

 

She'd already screwed this up too much.

 

"I'm going to the Prydwen."

 

"We ain't the type for pretty words. Say it straight."

 

"I'm going to be with with Arthur."

 

He nodded, lips wrapping around the cigarette, the tip glowing red as he sucked in. After another moment, he pulled it away to speak. "I figured. Can't say it shocks me."

 

"I'm sorry-"

 

"-Don't. Sorry doesn't mean shit, sunshine. I know it, you know it." He sighed, then shook his head. His voice lost some of the edge. "Shit, I'm sorry. That ain't fair." He rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "Ain't fair to be pissed at you. I ain't, either. I get it, I do. I knew it might turn out like this from the start. Fuck, the first time you walked on in there to talk to me about him, all doe-eyed, I knew it. Might not have wanted to admit it, but I knew it. Anyone who could make a hard-ass like you go soft was something I couldn't compete with."

 

"It wasn't a competition, John."

 

"I know, I do. Look, we ain't romantics. We're both too fucking cynical for that bullshit. I don't believe in soulmates or fate. Fact is, people get together and they split up and that's life. You and I? We had a good thing, and the fact it didn't last forever don't change that it was good."

 

Nora dropped her head into her hands. She wanted him to scream at her. She wanted him to snap at her, to tell her she was a bitch for doing this to him. That would hurt, and that hurt would make her feel like she was paying for doing this to him.

 

But John never was one to do what others wanted.

 

Instead, his arm wrapped around her, pulling her against his side. The familiar smell of his jacket, like grape mentats and smoke and Goodneighbor, it soaked into her.

 

"I need you to yell at me," she whispered as she turned her face toward him, burying it in his coat.

 

"Ain't a yeller. Go on, now. Like a band-aid. Tin can will fly your ass up to the Prydwen."

 

"Where are you going?"

 

He shrugged, fingers flexing around her arm like he knew he should let go but didn't want to. "Back to my first love: Goodneighbor. Doesn't matter how I run around on her, I always go back."

 

Nora twisted more, lifted her face to capture his lips. It wasn't a passionate kiss, wasn't the sort they'd had before, the sort that was only a lead into sex.

 

No, this was a goodbye. His breath, saturated with smoke, warmed her as he groaned softly into her mouth, his hand sliding through her hair in a slow caress.

 

He broke the kiss, his forehead against hers for a moment, his eyes closed tight. "Yeah, we, uh, we should probably end that."

 

Nora brushed her lips against his once more before pulling away and standing. "When will I see you again?"

 

He shrugged, not looking at her. "You know where I'll be. You need anything, anything at all, you come see me. You and I? Doesn't matter what happens, we're something. You need me? I'm there, always."

 

Nora opened her mouth to say something else, but he lifted a hand.

 

"I think we've said everything needs to be said, yeah? You take care of yourself and soldier boy. You both may be assholes, but your assholes I want to see live a long life."

 

 

#

 

 

Her footsteps echoed in his ears, slamming through is head, echoing off his skull.

 

He'd fucking known it would go this way. Even the time in Goodneighbor, when it had been just the two of them, he'd known deep down.

 

He didn't get shit like this. Couldn't even be mad, what had he ever done to deserve shit like this? To deserve a woman who wanted him, to deserve some happy ending.

 

Why had he let himself believe for even a moment he could have it?

 

John stayed there, eyes pinned to the water, to the waves as they moved down the stream, over the rocks. The sound of the vertibird taking off told him Nora was gone.

 

He hadn't been lying, he wasn't mad. He got it. Arthur could give her things he couldn't.

 

Not just the obvious, either. Shit like kids, like a fancy fucking Brotherhood title.

 

Arthur could give her a real life, could be the husband she deserved.

 

He scrubbed his hands against his face, fingers tracing the grooves of his radiation burns. When they dipped into the cavernous space that had once been his nose, he yanked them away and jumped to his feet. The nervous energy in him had him edgy.

 

Only one place in the settlement to go, one place where he thought he could just fucking relax.

 

He headed for his own shack, ready to crack open that safe, to drink with Haylen, to fall asleep somewhere with someone who made him feel like he was worth something. Just for one damned night, he wanted to forget Nora, to forget Arthur, to forget everything.

 

He opened the door to his shack only to find it empty. Haylen's things were gone, her pack, her clothing, her warmth.

 

He let himself sit on the bed and drop his head into his hands.

 

Fucking alone, again.

 

 

#

 

 

Arthur stared at the ceiling in the dark room. Three nights alone and he was already tired of it.

 

How had he so quickly grown used to Nora's presence? He'd wake during the night and reach for Nora, try to bring her closer, to bury his face in her hair.

 

He'd never felt that need before, that desire for another person. It wasn't just sex, it was more.

 

And worse? He had no idea where she was, what she was thinking.

 

Would she show up and tell him they were through? He'd prepared himself for that, worked and schooling his features, and not showing how it would tear his heart out.

 

He owed her too much to let her know how much it would hurt. If she picked John, then he'd let her go. He'd still help her, still do as he'd promised, but he'd let her be happy.

 

She deserved that.

 

The door opened, and he sat up, pistol up and aimed toward the door before the person managed to shut them inside together.

 

When the outline registered, he lowered the gun. He'd always recognize that silhouette. "You've always been careless."

 

"If you didn't shoot me when I elbowed you in the face, you wouldn't do it now." She flipped the lock and crossed the room.

 

"As I recall, I spanked you and then fucked you."

 

"Maybe that's why I keep pushing boundaries." She slid into his lap, her hands going behind his neck. "Maybe I'm hoping you'll do that again."

 

"I believe I explained that I don't care for being manipulated. If you want something, you need only ask."

 

The only light in the room came from the glow of his terminal, which gave him enough to see her outline, but not enough to catch the look on her face.

 

"I want you," she whispered before she leaned in and teased his throat with her lips. "I told John it was over today. I know what I want; I've always known, I think."

 

The words soaked into him, into the parts of him that had been so sure he'd already ruined this, that he'd already screwed up enough that she'd never trust him again.

 

He should feel guilty. He should think about John, about how much that man had done for them both, about how alone he was now, but right then?

 

Right then Arthur could think of nothing beyond Nora.

 

He set a hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer so she pressed against him. She gave in without a second thought, relaxing against him.

 

It stoked his need even more. After so long of this fight, really from the first day, she just gave in.

 

She wanted him.

 

He repeated it to himself, a truth he couldn't quite comprehend. She wasn't pulling away, wasn't running away. She was here and she wanted him.

 

Arthur shifted them around so she laid on the bed. He was already nude since sleeping alone gave him no reason to wear anything.

 

Nora, however, was not. That seemed something he needed to remedy immediately.

 

He pulled her shoes off, first. Next, he grasped her pants and underwear, sliding them down her legs until she was naked from the waist down.

 

His lips tilted up. A good start.

 

He moved up her body, peppering kisses over her lips, offering soft bites that grew more aggressive until he reached the inside crease of her thigh.

 

Arthur set his hands on her thighs, spreading her legs so he could offer one hard lick up her slit.

 

She gasped and tried to snap shut her legs, but he kept his grip.

 

"Be still," he warned.

 

Her desperate moan had him grinning. How long has it been since they'd played?

 

He'd been so concerned about making sure she knew he cared about her, so worried about making up for all the thing she'd messed up, that he'd been careful.

 

Now? Now that she was his, he wanted to enjoy her, for them both to enjoy what they liked, and that moan of hers said she'd missed it as well.

 

Arthur sunk his teeth into the inside of her thigh in a hard bite, one that would leave a bruise behind.

 

Nora arched off the bed, breath pulled in with a shaky gasp, but Arthur let her go as soon as he bit.

 

He grasped the bottom of her shirt and yanked it up and over her head. Instead of taking off the bra right away, he stroked his fingers over the thin material, then dipped down into the cup to capture a nipple.

 

"I've missed this," he admitted as he rolled that nipple between his fingers. "Since you're finally mine, I was thinking I could mark you up a little tonight. It's been too long since I've broken you a bit. It's sort of like claiming you." He tightened his fingers to pinch her nipple between them, the pressure steadily growing. "Do you want that? Because, I want you, but you deserve to know exactly who I am as well."

 

Nora didn't flinch away. She pressed forward into his grasp, leaning in to return a bite to his neck, one high enough it would show clearly even in his coat. "I know exactly who you are, Arthur, and that's who I want."

 

Arthur smiled, releasing her nipple before he removed the bra. A hand to the center of her chest, between her breasts, shoved her town and pinned her to the bed.

 

And what a sight she made. Spread out, naked, flushed and panting. She could struggle, could possibly even throw him off. Perhaps that's what really drew him into her, the fact that at the end of the day, she truly decided to submit to him.

 

He grasped her hips and yanked her down a few inches on the bed, then drug his nails over her ass and up the backs of her thighs, leaving thick red welts behind them.

 

Nora's hips lifted off the bed, but she couldn't escape him so easily. He stopped when he reached the back of her knees, using his hands to press open her legs, to spread them wide.

 

He was tempted to lean in and taste her again. The memory of forcing orgasm after orgasm out of her had stuck with him, the way every muscle of hers had trembled and shook and the tears that had fallen down her cheeks.

 

Instead, he spread her thighs wider and lifted one to give him access. He landed a hard slap to her ass, then rubbed the skin. The sound that left her lips, a needy whine, it had him smiling.

 

He repeated the action, her ass shaking after the strike, and this time when he stroked over the skin, she jerked away from the touch.

 

Perfect.

 

Arthur let her leg fall back down, letting her lie flat on the bed again. He slid his hands up her thighs until his thumbs brushed the sides of her cunt.

 

She reached down to grasp his wrist.

 

"Hands up, Nora. Grasp the headboard. If you can't manage it, I have some rope."

 

She gulped before she followed his order, reaching up and wrapping those hands around the metal of the headboard. It stretched out out, showed off her body.

 

"You look like a sacrificial lamb, you know that?" He drug both thumbs up her slit. The wetness didn't surprise him in the least, not anymore. He read Nora well, knew what she liked, what she wanted, what they both needed.

 

He shifted one hand so he could dip two fingers into her as he leaned down and latched his lips around her clit.

 

Her hips shifted up at the sudden contact, that way he pushed her had from the start. He sucked her swollen clit, tongue flicking against it as he worked in tandem with his finger.

 

When her hips moved too much, he used his free forearm across her lower stomach and pinned her to the bed, leaving her still and trapped and exposed for whatever he wanted.

 

She was finally his.

 

He wasn't sharing her with anyone. He wasn't denying anything, not holding her away, not being pushed away. Finally, it was just them and their future.

 

She pulled in a breath before let out a high pitch moan as she came, and he raked his teeth over her clit as he pulled away.

 

He went to his knees between her legs, not giving her time to recover. His hands grasped her hips and he pulled her into position, lifting her ass so he could line up with her cunt.

 

Her heat squeezed down around him as he pushed into her, fluttering as the advance set off aftershocks in her still sensitive body.

 

Nora's hands jerked at the headboard, but she didn't let go.

 

"Good girl," he praised as he filled her. "Keep your hands there, and I'll take care of everything."

 

He meant it, too. He'd take care of her. Always. He'd screwed up too much already, he'd never let it happen again.

 

Once he'd seated himself in her, he brought her legs up, spreading them so he could watch himself slide into her, so he could see the way her cunt spread around his cock.

 

He set her feet on his shoulders before pulling back and thrusting back into her. Her toes curled against his shoulders, the tiny amount of movement all he could manage. He set his hands beneath her ass to steady her as he thrust into her hard, sliding in deep enough she gasped and arched her back.

 

When he was about to ask if she was okay, she twisted her hips, a wanton invitation if he'd ever seen one.

 

Arthur fucked her hard then, knowing she could take it, that she'd love it. His hands on her ass kept her still for him, adding more power to each thrust, letting him grind into her.

 

He debated for a moment if he should hold off when he felt his own climax nearing.

 

But, for the first time, he didn't need to. This was the first time of many, this was their new life, their new normal, and there wasn't a damned reason not to just enjoy her. Arthur let her lie flat on the bed, shifting over her, crowding her with his body.

 

He took her lips in an aggressive kiss that was rough and full of teeth. She'd wear plenty of bite marks by the time they were finished.

 

The new position also allowed for his pelvic bone to rub against her clit as he fucked her, and it hadn't gone unnoticed by Nora.

 

She twisted beneath him like she could escape the sensation, but nothing helped. If anything, it made Arthur ensure each stroke tormented that bundle of nerves.

 

He pulled back enough to press his lips to her neck, then to leave a bite there, a match to the one on his own throat.

 

She came when he did so, her hands flying off the headboard to dig her nails into his back. Those sparks of pain, the fact he finally had her, it had him following her over that same edge.

 

He breathed hard against her neck, tongue darting out to trace the bite mark.

 

After a moment, he pulled back, slipping from her cunt. He settled beside her and then placed a hand between her legs, fingers stroking on the outside of her labia, touching the come there.

 

She squirmed at the touch. "I'm too sensitive."

 

"You also let go of the headboard. I'd suggest you don't cause problems." He offered her a smirk to make sure she knew he was joking.

 

"I need to clean up."

 

"Later." He pulled her over so her back was against his chest, his hand still between her legs. He didn't touch her clit, didn't even slip his fingers into her. "I like you with my come inside you. It reminds me that you're really mine."

 

"What? Are you going to make me walk around like that just so you feel better?"

 

He nipped her shoulder in a mock punishment. "Don't tempt me, knight. You've escaped me too many times. I'm feeling quite possessive."

 

She slid her hand down his arm until it covered his in some strange manner of holding hands. "I'm not going anywhere, Arthur. Not ever again."

 

He released a heavy breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

 

It may have been a crooked path, one he'd fallen off too many times, but he finally had everything he ever could have wanted in his bed beside him, and he'd do anything he could to keep her.


	29. Chapter 29

Nora leaned over the map on the table. Her fingers drug over the streets, the marks they'd placed.

 

Liberty Prime stood outside, their best chance at success.

 

Blast a hole into the ceiling and drop in on them. Perfect plan.

 

Well, perfect-ish. Perfect-ish was the best she hoped for anymore.

 

"We'll need every ally we have." Arthur stood beside Nora, his hands clasped behind his back.

 

Kells stood with them. "We have already cleared the gunners and raiders from the surrounding areas. Fighting on two fronts would divide our forces."

 

Nora tapped her fingers at the point above the CIT ruins. "Preston will have his forces here. He's leaving enough to patrol the settlements most at risk, but you'll have a hell of an additional force with them."

 

"You have been there. Will it be enough?" Arthur asked the question of Nora, and the fact he asked at all said how far they'd come. He trusted her, knew she could help.

 

"It's not going to be easy. The actual people in the Institute won't fight, at least not most of them. They’re mostly scientist, soft, spent their whole lives down there. The gen 2 and gen 3s are more problematic, but the real threat will be the coursers. SRB is here." Nora tapped at the map she'd created of the Institute. "And that holds the largest concentration of coursers. The important thing is that we get control of the relay fast, so any stranded on the surface stay there. It only took a couple of these things to wipe out entire Railroad safe houses, so trust me, we want as few as possible in our way."

 

Arthur nodded. "Kells, would you give us a moment of privacy?"

 

"Of course, Elder. I'll check again to ensure everything is prepared, but we are ready to leave when you are."

 

Once he left, Nora stood to face Arthur, knowing damned well what he planned to say. "No."

 

"You should send him word."

 

"I won't do it."

 

Arthur sighed and grabbed Nora's hand. He pulled her against him. "You know he would want to be here."

 

They hadn't spoken much of John, mostly her choice rather than Arthur’s. Each time Nora thought about John, her chest ached. Whether or not they worked, whether or not they could be together, the thought of him alone broke her heart.

 

"I can't ask him to risk his life for me, not after what happened. He deserves more than that."

 

"What he deserves is enough respect to let him make his own choices, Nora. If you think he'd choose to be anywhere but there with us tomorrow, you don't know him that well."

 

Nora pushed backward from Arthur so she could pace. "I already screwed up his life. I'm not about to pull him into this. 'Hey, sorry I broke your fucking heart, how about you come risk your life for me now?'"

 

"Isn't that his choice to make?"

 

"No. I can't do that, Arthur. What if he gets killed in there? What it he gets slaughtered and after everything else, everything he's done for me, for us, he gets killed?" Nora drug her hands through her hair hard enough she pulled a few strands out with it. "I can't do that. I couldn’t bear that."

 

Arthur pulled her against his chest in a tight hug even as she tried to shove again. He pressed a kiss to her head. "Breathe, Nora. I won't go behind your back, but I do think you should tell him. I've gotten to know him, and I can promise you, he'd want to be there no matter the risk. However, it's your choice."

 

When she stopped struggling, when she took a deep breath, he caught her chin and lifted her face until she looked at him.

 

"This is it, Nora. Do you realize that? After tomorrow, one way or another, this is all over. We finish it all."

 

"What happens after that? No more Institute, no more big bad boogeyman to worry about. Just you and I."

 

“Then we keep moving forward.”

 

“And you’re sure there’s something there? Once we don’t have all this, you think there’s still something there?”

 

Arthur ran his thumb along her bottom lip. “Yes. I’m quite sure there’s still something there.”

 

 

#

 

Arthur wasn't shocked to see John strolling up, shotgun over his shoulder, red coat catching the light. They stood outside of the CIT ruins, Liberty Prime having cleared the surface. It had blasted the hole down into the Institute, and now they readied to head down.

 

"John?" Nora's voice came out hesitant and full of far too much pain.

 

Sometimes that hurt him, the loss in her eyes. While a choice needed to be made, and he was thankful she'd picked him, it didn't help the guilt.

 

He'd become friends with John over their time together, and John deserved some happiness.

 

"You wouldn't be thinking about having this fun without, would you?" John smiled and managed to keep his balance even when Nora threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

 

It had been two months since they'd seen each other, two months of planning, of non-stop work., of guilt.

 

John's arms wrapped around Nora, pulling her close in a hug. They didn't kiss, just held on. John's fingers opened and flexed on her lower back, Nora's wrapped in his coat.

 

Arthur should have sent word to John himself. He'd known he should have but had wanted to respect what Nora asked for. It seemed more important to let Nora make the choice, even if he thought it was the wrong choice.

 

Nora pulled back first, her hands shifting at her hips like she'd forgotten she didn't have pockets in her vault suit. "What are you doing here?"

 

"Like I was going to let you two assholes go in there without me. I have my own share of complaints I'd like to give personally to the Institute."

 

"I didn't want you to risk yourself here."

 

John laughed and shook his head. "You really think there was any chance I wouldn't be here? Doesn't matter what happened, I'm at your side, always." John's eyes darted up, the first time he looked at Arthur. "Both of you."

 

Arthur placed his hand out. "Good to see you, John. I'd be a fool to turn down any help you'd give."

 

John returned the handshake. "Like I'd let you two have all the fun without me and my shotgun?"

 

"General?" Preston walked up. "I'm having trouble with a few of the newer recruits."

 

Nora turned, and Arthur could tell she wanted to tell Preston to go screw himself.

 

But, she knew better. There was too much at stake. "Of course. Arthur, John, I'll be right back."

 

When she left, Arthur and John stood across from each other with all the history between them.

 

"Look-"

 

John shook his head. "-Don't. It's okay. I made my peace a while ago about this, yeah? We don't need to bullshit this around. I wasn't kidding, you two are friends, fuck, you're family to me. I'm here to help, nothing else. Nora and I? I love that girl, but that's it. I'm not here to try and get anything, to cause problems."

 

Arthur nodded, but he didn't need to hear that. He knew it already. John wasn't underhanded, wouldn't ever try to steal Nora. It just wasn't in his nature.

 

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you know that you still have a place here. No matter what happens, we owe you. You are, as you said, family. Should you ever need anything, know that you should never hesitate."

 

John nodded and shoved his hands into his coat. "Can I ask something?"

 

"Anything."

 

"How's Scribe Haylen?"

 

The question had Arthur pulling back. That wasn't what he'd expected. "What do you mean?"

 

"Just what I said. How is she?"

 

"Were you two involved?"

 

"You being protective?" John's eyebrow ridge lifted.

 

"Just surprised."

 

"Nah, we weren't involved. Met her in Sanctuary when she treated Nora. I let her take my place, seemed like she was having a bad time. The fucker Knight Rhys was being an asshole. She took off and I ain't heard a word from her since. Just wanted to know she was doing okay. She's a nice girl, deserves miles better than that fucker."

 

Arthur frowned, piecing together not just what John said, but what he didn't.

 

You didn't casually ask about a person you barely knew two months later. There was more than John was let on, than he wanted to admit to.

 

John glared at the close scrutiny. "So, soldier boy, you going to answer my question?"'

 

"I can't. I don't know how or where she is. She left the Brotherhood six weeks or so."

 

"Left? People don't leave big fascist organizations on a whim. The fuck happened?"

 

Arthur leaned against the table. "I'm not entirely sure. Not to be unkind, but she is fairly far down the rank structure. I barely knew her. My understanding was that there were some interpersonal issues. Danse informed me some rumors of her having a sexual relationship with a ghoul had gone around."

 

"And you didn't step the fuck in?"

 

"First, I had no idea they were talking about you. Secondly, I heard nothing about this until she had already left. Apparently, the rumors became widespread, there were issues with other soldiers. The way the Brotherhood works, you need to be able to trust your brothers and sisters, need to know they have your back. That trust was shattered, and she chose to leave the Brotherhood."

 

"You let her leave because some fuckwits decided to give her a hard time? This coming from you who shared a fucking woman with a ghoul? Before you get on your high horse, know that you've been a lot fucking closer to a naked ghoul that she ever has." The edge in John's voice, the set of his shoulders reminded Arthur that while he might look like a junkie obsessed with a good time, John had a dangerous edge.

 

He wasn't a man to piss off. 

 

"As I said, I had no idea of any problems until after she left, and by that time? The damage was done. I could transfer her to another unit, but according to Danse, she didn't want to stay. Whatever happened made her want to leave, and I don't force people to remain against their will."

 

"Where did she go?"

 

"I have no idea. You could ask those in her squad, see if any of them knew. She might have kept in contact with Paladin Danse or Knight Rhys."

 

"Trust me, I'll have a long fucking talk with Rhys about this."

 

"Maybe that can wait until after we finish the battle?"

 

"Only if you keep that fucker away from me." He turned around to storm off.

 

"Where are you going?"

 

"Need a fucking chem break."

 

Arthur lifted an eyebrow, the spark of anger had him smiling. He'd never have considered Scribe Haylen a fit for John. He didn't know the woman well, but she'd struck him as rather straight-laced, sweet, quiet. None of the traits he'd have picked out for John.

 

Still, stranger things had happened.  

 

#

 

John took a drink of his beer, his shoulder aching. He'd taken a bullet through it from a scientist who'd decided he was a feral. It annoyed him more than anything. After a battle like that, he'd hoped to walk away with a good story to go with any scar. Instead, he'd just caught a stray round from someone who'd never shot a gun before and then apologized afterward. 

 

So much for being a hero. 

 

Still, the entire battle hadn't lasted long. He'd stuck with Nora and Arthur, watching their backs. The three made a good team, he had to admit.

 

As often as he insulted soldier boy, Arthur held his own. It was clear he'd spent his life in war, that he'd trained for conflict from the start.

 

Once they'd gotten back to the airport, ready to celebrate, Nora had kissed his cheek, Arthur had shaken his hand, and the lovebirds had taken off on their own.

 

While a few of the Brotherhood made snide comments, they mostly left him be. Between the alcohol and the high of the win and Minutemen, it seemed no one was in the mood to fight.

 

No one but John.

 

He'd limited his liquor, gaze searching. He just needed one fucking glimpse of that asshole. Rhys had fucked up in screwing with Haylen.

 

Being a general bastard John could overlook. That shit happened. But then Rhys had said shit that wasn't true. No one else would have even thought about spreading the bullshit about Haylen and a ghoul, no one but Rhys.

 

And that little stunt? It had managed to cost Haylen everything. For just petty meanness, Rhys had taken everything from Haylen.

 

Her family. Her sense of security. All of it.

 

John had caught up with Danse when they'd gotten back, gotten tin can to answer a few questions.

 

Haylen hadn't head back to the Citadel. She stayed in the Commonwealth. Without friends, without resources, she'd spent the last two months somewhere on her own.

 

Danse had gotten word from her, now and then. He wasn't sure where she was, she never said. Probably knew the surly Paladin might go pick her ass up if he knew.

 

Didn't help him relax. This was all his fucking fault. He'd known better than to fuck around with a girl like Haylen, but he'd still done it, and she paid the price.

 

Finally, fuck face wandered into John's line of sight. He didn't do shit at first, just watched. Rhys didn't laugh, nah, he wasn't the type to cut loose.

 

He drank with a few other soldiers, and John decided they were all guilty by association.

 

John took another drink of his beer, gaze locked on Rhys like a predator watching prey.

 

Best prey ever was the type that thought it was the predator. The sort that strolled around thinking it owned the fields, having no damned idea something bigger and nastier was watching from the shadows.

 

Rhys was the sort used to dealing with people who gave in. He'd fucked with Nora enough that she didn't care for him, then he wasn't and fucked with Haylen, too.

 

Rhys clapped his hand on another soldier's back before he stood. They said their goodbyes, and Rhys headed off.

 

Perfect. John followed him, staying far enough back to not draw attention. Easy to do since everyone was drunk.

 

Rhys stopped out past the buildings, near the field of plane corpses, where he stopped and unzipped to take a piss.

 

John palmed his blade, then moved closer in a rush. He pressed the knife to Rhys' throat hard enough to make the threat clear.

 

Rhys didn't jerk away, a testament to Brotherhood training or the bastards ego. Probably the latter. 

 

"Are you here to kill me, abomination?"

 

John released a cruel chuckle. "Maybe. Who the fuck knows, huh?"

 

"You're here to what? Defend that whore’s honor?"

 

John pulled the blade from his throat and nicked his cheek in the process, then kicked the back of Rhys' knees. It sent him toppling down. The moron worked to tuck his joke of a cock into his pants before turning toward John.

 

"Watch what you say, brother."

 

"She deserved anything she got. She fucked things like you, then had sex with me? Who knows what I could have caught." Rhys' lip lifted, blood trickling down his cheek, over his neck.

 

"Man, that girl had bad taste in settling for your sorry ass. I mean, you're a pathetic excuse for a soldier if I snuck up on you, you ain't exactly swimming in charm, and I got a look at what you got dangling. Can't think a single reason she was starry-eyed over you."

 

"That whore-"

 

John kicked Rhys in the center of his chest, knocking him backward, then leaned down and pinned Rhys with a knee to his chest. "Keep your fucking mouth shut. No one saw me follow you out here. I could slit your throat, and no one would fucking care. Now, I'm looking to fix your fucking mess for you. For whatever reason, you knew Haylen. Where would she have gone?"

 

"I don't know and I don't really care."

 

John rolled the blade over his knuckles, the threat showing in the way Rhys' eyebrows drew together. "Think really fucking hard."

 

Rhys swallowed hard. "She made a friend, some traveling merchant. Fucking ghoul, go figure. Guess she had a type. Find the ghoul, you'll figure out where she went."

 

John's lips pressed together. He wanted to kill the fucker. No one would know. The world would be a lot better without him.

 

But then he thought about Haylen, and the way she'd looked at him before like he fucking matter, and the way she'd look at him if she found out he'd killed Rhys.

 

He sighed and stood.

 

"Aren't you going to kill me?" Rhys words came out a taunt.

 

"Nah. You ain't fucking worth the trouble."

 

Besides, John had a certain Scribe to track down to make things right.

 

 

#

 

Nora sat on the table, Arthur seated in the chair. She laughed, legs swinging, beer in her hand.

 

So long she'd had to struggle. After waking up, after realizing how many things she'd lost, she'd had to fight for every damned thing.

 

In the end, she'd had to destroy the thing she'd looked for. Life was funny that way, that it would twist her dreams into her obstacles.

 

The child she'd wanted had been so twisted by life, he'd had to go. It had come down to the Commonwealth or her child.

 

The choice had been easy.

 

They'd lost people, of course. No battle happened without sacrifice, without casualties. Still, they'd come out the other side of it in one piece.

 

"I never really thought we would get here."

 

"Get where?"

 

"To a place where I have a real future. Not just the Brotherhood, but a real future with another person."

 

Nora smiled at the admission. Arthur hadn't been a person to admit such potential weaknesses, but he'd grown. He still wasn't what she'd consider warm and fuzzy. They didn't hold hands in public or offer sweet nicknames, but he'd stopped resisting. He'd finally come far enough to submit to them at the very least.

 

"Well, it's not like we didn't earn it."

 

Arthur took a deep breath, his shoulders tight. He wasn't relaxed, not like he should have been after such a victory.

 

"What's the matter?"

 

He lifted his gaze to hers. "I received word from the Citadel."

 

"Already? We just won."

 

"Word travels fast when it's this important. They'd offered me the High Elder position, wish for me to return."

 

"They'll leave the Commonwealth?"

 

"Not exactly. They intend to leave most of the troops here to continue local recruitment, allowing the Capital troops to return when they are able to, for those who wish to. However, I will need to travel to the West to be confirmed as High Elder by the West Coast Elders. Once the Brotherhood is again beneath a single leader, I'm not sure where I will be, but I do know it won't be here."

 

Nora's smile slid off her lips.

 

Was Arthur saying he was leaving? After everything they'd fought through, he was planning to just leave her?

 

He stood and moved to stand in front of her. "Stop frowning."

 

"You're running out on me. After all of this, you're seriously going to just leave?"

 

His hand went to her cheek. "You really believe I'd do that? No, Nora, I'm not running out on you. I told you from the start that I'd likely need to leave once we settled things with the Institute."

 

"Great, so you run off and I'm supposed to sit here and hope you come back eventually?"

 

"You could, I suppose, but what I'd like would be for you to come with me. You've handled the Institute, avenged your husband. You've grown the Minutemen into a strong force and could easily leave Garvey as General. I'll promote Paladin Danse to Elder here, and he will work well with Garvey. Nothing is keeping either of us here, Nora. Come with me?"

 

Nora should second guess it. She should doubt that it was the right move, that dropping everything to follow Arthur was foolish.

 

However, when he asked her, she knew damned well her answer. Nora wrapped her fingers in the front of his shirt and pulled him closer until their lips just barely touched as she spoke. "Are you sure you want me to come with you? I mean, you could get bored of me."

 

He stole the last bit of space to kiss her, a quick and hard kiss that almost made her forget what they were talking about. "We started this because you elbowed me in the jaw. I doubt I'll ever get bored of trying to keep you in line."

 

Nora grinned against his lips. "Well, it's not my fault. You're the one who decided to trap me up on the Prydwen for a month."

 

"That may just be the best choice I ever made." He pressed her thighs apart so he could move between them. "You didn't tell me yes, though. You haven't said you'll come with me."

 

"Of course I'm coming with you. Just try and get rid of me."

 

Arthur leaned forward so she stretched out on the table beneath him, so she was trapped by his larger body. He caught her hands and pinned them above her so she couldn’t move. “Well then, I’m looking forward to helping you work off all this extra energy of yours for a very long time.”

 

And that was a plan that sounded perfect to Nora.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END.
> 
> A few things. First, thank you for hanging in there for everyone who did. This story took a long time to finish up, and I appreciate those who stuck it out!
> 
> Secondly, I know a lot wanted a happy ending for John, one he didn't get here. The reason for this was that I didn't want it rushed. He and Haylen will have their own story. I did not feel it was realistic or possible to give him the ending he deserved in this story. That will take time, and they needed a story to do it. So, there will be shortly a story for John and Haylen to continue. 
> 
> Lastly, for anyone upset with how this ended, I really am sorry. I struggled a lot with how this needed to end, with what worked for these characters. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was how I felt it needed to go, the way I felt it needed to end. I hope you can understand why it went this way, but for those disappointed, I am sorry.


End file.
